Daily Devotional: Thursday, July 11 – Going For Eternal Gold

“All athletes are disciplined of their coaching. They do it to win a prize that can fade away, however we do it for an everlasting prize.” — 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NLT)

>> Sign up here for Sports Spectrum devotionals sent right to your email inbox <<

The XXXIII Olympiad will start on July 26 in Paris, France, as athletes from everywhere in the world will arrive in hopes of capturing an Olympic gold medal. The motion will happen over 17 days in disciplines equivalent to observe and discipline, swimming, gymnastics, skateboarding, volleyball, basketball, equestrian, boxing — 32 sports activities in all, with 329 medal occasions. That’s quite a lot of gold.

Particular person athletes practice for years for the chance to go for the gold. Members of staff sports activities hold themselves in form hoping to get that invitation to check out and be a part of the Olympic dream. Plenty of, if not all, private pleasures and pursuits are placed on the sidelines in the course of the coaching course of. There are two targets: make the lower and earn a medal.

The apostle Paul used athletic imagery very often in his writings. He referred to his preaching as operating in a race as he addressed the church buildings in Galatia (Galatians 2:2). Paul advised the church at Philippi that he pressed on to complete the race to obtain the prize the Lord had for him (Philippians 3:14). He advised Timothy to battle the great battle for true religion, and to at all times watch out to compete by the foundations (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:5). Paul additionally put in perspective the worth of the objective he was attempting to achieve — he was going for everlasting gold.

Paul recommended the athletes of his day by noting their in depth, disciplined coaching. Their objective was to win a wreath of greenery on the Isthmian Video games in Corinth. Clearly, that prize wouldn’t stand the take a look at of time, however they strived for it nonetheless.

Paul knew how a lot better the everlasting prize can be. He was not dismissing the worth of going for the gold on this life, however to have our priorities so as. Even a gold medal could lose its worth at some point — and we actually is not going to outlast that product of gold in our lifetime — so allow us to additionally go, with Paul, for everlasting gold.

— Loring Schultz

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him <<

>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more devotionals and stories where sports and faith connect <<

>> Purchase “The Increase 52 Week Devotional” to further grow your relationship with Christ <<

>> Dive more into God’s Word with Sports Spectrum through the YouVersion Bible App <<

If you want to submit a devotional, please e-mail all submissions to

devotionals@sportsspectrum.com