My family is watching the Olympic events over the next couple of weeks. Our children are experiencing their first Olympic games. Our four-year-old son is fascinated by every competition. He’ll watch swimming, soccer, and archery with the same level of interest (although he does have a higher level of interest in women’s beach volleyball, but that’s a topic for another blog!!). Our almost-three-year-old daughter enjoys diving and gymnastics. While we are watching the events, we also are trying to teach our children some important spiritual lessons and life lessons. No, we’re not that family. We don’t watch an event and then gather the children around the dinner table while I pull out the Bible and give a theological treatise on spiritual gifting by the Spirit. Most of our family meetings consist of one child standing on her head while the other child is circling the table, pretending to be a deer. But, when we do have a nanosecond of instruction time, we have tried to teach our children some life lessons. Here are some of the lessons we are teaching through the Olympic games.
We are all different, but specially created by God. Our children rarely mention the race or color of the athletes, but they are exposed to peoples of different colors and cultures. How wonderful. What an opportunity to tell them that God makes all of us different, and that He loves all of us. How important to let our children know that one day “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” will worship before the throne of Christ (Revelation 14:6). That will make any Olympic Opening Cermony pale in comparison.
We all have different talents. I am not an athlete. I could not accomplish the feats the Olympic athletes make look so easy. Yet, even among the athletes, there are different levels of talent and skill. Some athletes need speed; some need endurance; some need strength; some need flexibility. A gymnastics team has a different skill set than a water polo team. Some people excel in one area, while you may excel in another area. Our children are learning that God makes each person with a special ability or talent. One day, I pray that our children join a church body in which they are given a spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit that they can use to edify their church body. We can teach them now that each gift is important, and that no gift is better than another gift.
Even the top athletes make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. And no athlete is without an off day. We watch as the volleyball player serves to the wrong opposing team member, or as the diver enters the water past vertical, or as the gymnast fails to stick his landing, or as the relay runner drops the baton. My son is quick to ask, “Why did that player do that?” What a great opportunity to tell him that even the best athlete in the world can and does make mistakes. What a great opportunity to also show him that he will not always succeed in every ambition. What a great opportunity to walk alongside him and tell him that we all miss the mark in our obedience to God. But, what a great opportunity to teach him that, even when you make a mistake or things don’t go your way, that you don’t give up. Perseverance is an important character trait that our children need to learn.
There is only one winner. There is nothing wrong with one person or one team claiming the gold medal. Those athletes have dedicated years of their lives to rigorous training and single-minded pursuit of that one goal. The touching stories of athletes and their families who have made tremendous sacrifices so that the athlete can pursue her Olympic dream are compelling. How rewarding to see their dreams achieved. But, there are dozens of other athletes who don’t win the gold (and most don’t even get a medal). How we handle winning and losing, however, is the greatest reflection of our personal character. I want to teach my kids that, whether they win or lose, how they compete, and how they accept the outcome, is how they will be remembered.
Pursuing a dream takes work. Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run is such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes in to strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). Whether my children want to play soccer, sell the most Girl Scout cookies, or become a film maker, they will need to commit to the goal and train for that objective. Good things do not come without hard work and dedication. We can teach them through our athletes how to work hard to achieve a goal. I also pray that one day they will become followers of Christ and pursue Him with the same dogged determination with which they will follow their personal dreams.
Christians are citizens of another kingdom. My son asks me, “Do we want the United States to win this time?” My response is always, “That would be good if they won, but I am excited and happy for whoever wins, because they worked hard to win the medal.” I love my country. I am patriotic. And, in truth, I am rooting for the United States athletes almost every time. But, I also want my children to know that an American victory is not my ultimate hope. You see, while I am a citizen of the United States, I am also a citizen of the kingdom of God (that same kingdom made up of people from every nation, tribe, peoples, and language). I have dual citizenship. One day, my prayer is that my children will share the same dual citizenship. I am trying to teach them now that while the things of this earth are important, our hope is found in the things not of this world. One day, the kingdom of God will replace the kingdoms, republics, democracies, autocracies, and states of this present world. My citizenship in the United States is merely a preparation for my citizenship in the Kingdom of God. I must remember that. And I try to teach my children that as well.
So, I continue to watch the games with my son and daughter. At times, we root for the underdog. At times, we cheer as the athlete breaks a world-record time. We watch as the gold medalist beams with joy as her country’s flag is raised and she hears her national anthem. And we take some precious moments to learn some valuable lessons.
I can’t wait for my children to see the Winter Olympics in 2014.