What I Hate About the Olympics

Thursday, February 13, 2014 Posted by Debbie Legg

The athletes train for years, many for most of their lives. They eat, sleep, breathe, dream, bathe the Olympics. The sacrifices they make—financial, social, emotional, educational, familial—astound me. They all desire the Olympic Gold Medal for their sport, and there is only one.

That is what I hate about the Olympics.

Now, before you send me angry comments, I do not subscribe to the “every kid should get a trophy just for participating” thing. Also, I’m admittedly not an athlete. I could never win that one prestigious medal. And I don't have to.

That is what I love about God.

In the Parable of the Bags of Gold (or “the Talents” in earlier translations), the master gives three servants different amounts of gold—ten bags to one, five bags to another, and one to the third. He leaves for a long time, then comes back and settles accounts with them. The first two increase the master’s money and are rewarded. The third, well, he did nothing with his and is punished.

Also, Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 3, “…neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.”

God gives us differing amounts and unique combinations of skills, money, opportunities, etc. He decides who gets ten, five, or one. We increase what He gives us and He is glorified.

He also gives us different callings. Whether we plant or water or whatever, He rewards us according to our labor.

In God’s Kingdom there is not one Gold Medal. The rewards and blessings He has for us FAR exceed a bite of “pavement.” (Rev 21:21) “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor 2:9)

I’ll take that over any gold medal, any old day.