The Thrill of Victor
“The Thrill of Victory…”
24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.
1 Cor 9:24-27 (NRSV)
This is an exciting time for me. In case you’ve missed it, the Winter Olympics are in full swing. I enjoy watching all the Olympic competitions, both summer and winter. But for some reason, the winter games seem to stick out more in my mind. Maybe it is because I grew up watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports. I vividly recall the opening credits as the voiceover told of the “Thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat” and the accompanying video showed a ski jumper going off a jump badly, taking a spill that was absolutely painful to watch.
In many ways the Olympics, with all the spills, falls, triumphs, and failures seem to be a good metaphor for life. We start out with every intention of succeeding and winning the gold medal, but we trip and stumble, falter, fall and if we are fortunate, get up and try again. Life, like the Olympics, is not so much about winning as it is about trying valiantly.
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. (1 Cor 9:24-25)” I believe his point is that every athlete, and each one of us, goes through life not planning to loose, but to succeed. The difference is in how we measure our success.
For the athlete, the gold medal, or wreath as Paul wrote, is the prize that is pursued. Along the way some display great feats of strength and character. For other folks, the prize becomes the goal and the way the race is run is unimportant. Unfortunately, when the prize becomes paramount, scruples and character building can fall by the wayside.
The Game Show Network has a current series titled “Anything to Win.” In it they detail the lengths people will go to, sometimes scrupulously other times not, to win. Some of the stories reflect heroic individuals, such as Johnnie Cochran’s decades-long struggle to right the legal wrongs done to some defendants. Other stories are not so nice, like the father who led his child to cheat in the Soap Box Derby in pursuit of the trophy.
As Christians, the prize we seek is not an earthly trophy or medal. We do not seek the adulation of peers or cheering throngs of fans. Instead our prize in an imperishable one, the gift of life everlasting with our Lord. And that goal is all the encouragement we need to run the race of life with dignity, honor, and love for all in the name of Christ. May we all reach that eternal finish line together. Amen.
24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.
1 Cor 9:24-27 (NRSV)
This is an exciting time for me. In case you’ve missed it, the Winter Olympics are in full swing. I enjoy watching all the Olympic competitions, both summer and winter. But for some reason, the winter games seem to stick out more in my mind. Maybe it is because I grew up watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports. I vividly recall the opening credits as the voiceover told of the “Thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat” and the accompanying video showed a ski jumper going off a jump badly, taking a spill that was absolutely painful to watch.
In many ways the Olympics, with all the spills, falls, triumphs, and failures seem to be a good metaphor for life. We start out with every intention of succeeding and winning the gold medal, but we trip and stumble, falter, fall and if we are fortunate, get up and try again. Life, like the Olympics, is not so much about winning as it is about trying valiantly.
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. (1 Cor 9:24-25)” I believe his point is that every athlete, and each one of us, goes through life not planning to loose, but to succeed. The difference is in how we measure our success.
For the athlete, the gold medal, or wreath as Paul wrote, is the prize that is pursued. Along the way some display great feats of strength and character. For other folks, the prize becomes the goal and the way the race is run is unimportant. Unfortunately, when the prize becomes paramount, scruples and character building can fall by the wayside.
The Game Show Network has a current series titled “Anything to Win.” In it they detail the lengths people will go to, sometimes scrupulously other times not, to win. Some of the stories reflect heroic individuals, such as Johnnie Cochran’s decades-long struggle to right the legal wrongs done to some defendants. Other stories are not so nice, like the father who led his child to cheat in the Soap Box Derby in pursuit of the trophy.
As Christians, the prize we seek is not an earthly trophy or medal. We do not seek the adulation of peers or cheering throngs of fans. Instead our prize in an imperishable one, the gift of life everlasting with our Lord. And that goal is all the encouragement we need to run the race of life with dignity, honor, and love for all in the name of Christ. May we all reach that eternal finish line together. Amen.