No one wants
to win silver or bronze. Most athletes
go to the Olympics with the gold medal in mind, doing the very best they can do
to achieve that goal. It’s what they
work so hard to do all year, in fact, for four years until they get there. Meanwhile, we watch with national pride
hoping our athletes win the gold for our country. We especially want it when we are up against
a rival country like the USA,
especially when it comes to hockey.
The men’s
hockey game for the gold happened this morning.
It was still going when we left for church. Albert and I sat and talked over coffee, then
went over to the youth room where the game was being broadcast over the three
screens and a crowd was gathered. There
was only two minutes to go and Canada
was up 3-0. Though it didn’t seem
likely, there was still a chance for the Americans to score (like the Canadian
women’s team did), so I waited cautiously breathing.
The clock ticked down to zero, the bell rang, a roar went
up in the stadium and cheers in the church.
As we walked
back to go into the sanctuary I noticed a lot of Canadian clothing: flag ties,
different jerseys, t-shirts, gloves, hats; I seemed to be surrounded by it but
really it was only about a quarter of the people. What struck me is how comfortable they looked
expressing their pride in being Canadian, and I wondered…
Where are the
God ties, jerseys, t-shirts, gloves and other wearables? Where are the cheers for God and our proud
display of His team on our clothing? Why
don’t we walk around with our devices absorbed in things of His kingdom? Why aren’t we wearing items with expressions of
belonging to Jehovah God? In the public...
Why aren’t we “going for the gold” with God or celebrating
His victory (Cl. 2:15)?
The Olympic
gold medal is made from at least 92.5% silver, and must contain a minimum of 6
grams of gold. They aren’t even pure
gold! All the work and effort by the
athlete, all the pride and celebrating of the spectators, all for an impure
plated lump of metal with an actual worth of about $600 (one man figured 76,000
if it was pure gold), recognition
and bragging rights.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete
exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable
wreath, but we an imperishable. 1Cr. 9:24,25
ESV
"Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves
break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do
not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also. Mt. 6:19-21 ESV
Only the
winner receives the gold. It is
perishable metal, but the prize we
will receive is eternal life in a new imperishable body in the presence of
Almighty God forever (1Th. 4:17; Ps.
23:6). That is why we should not
consider earthly treasures of value, for they break down, rust, are destroyed
or stolen, but our eternal prizes will never lose value, break down, rust, be
destroyed or stolen away from us. They
are eternally ours!
So instead of
being so excited for a perishable prize, let’s go for the gold in God, the pure
gold in Him, and our faith tried as pure gold so that we might live proudly in
His name and for His glory- celebrating Him!
And unlike a $600 or even $76,000 plated lump of metal, the Almighty God
who created the heavens and earth is priceless, and worth more than anything we
can ever possess in this life.
so that the trial of your faith (being much more
precious than that of gold that perishes, but being proven through fire) might
be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1Pt.
1:7
I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire,
so that you may be rich… Rv. 3:18
Only with Christ Jesus, the Father and Holy Spirit are we
made rich!