This story appears in FCA Magazine’s July/August 2016 issue. Subscribe today!
“But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” – Matthew 7:14 (NLT)
Think for a minute about pouring everything you have—for four years—into the pursuit of a specific goal. You work tirelessly and outhustle the competition to reach your dreams, sacrificing other areas of your life. But then, when the moment comes after more than 1,000 days of pure dedication, you aren’t even allowed to compete and show your stuff.
How would you react? Would you be willing to put in another four years? It’s difficult to even imagine for many of us, and I’m not sure I can understand the amount of focus and tenacity it would take to keep going.
Many years ago, swimmer Rowdy Gaines showed us what it takes. In preparation for the 1980 Olympics, Rowdy trained six hours per day, six days a week—for four years. It all added up to 7,500 total hours of training and some 14,000 miles of swimming. But, because of the United States’ boycott of the Games in Moscow, Rowdy wasn’t even allowed to compete.
So he started over, and by 1984 Rowdy had logged enough miles in the water to swim around the circumference of the earth. All for just the opportunity to swim two lengths of the pool for a gold medal. And, in his three events at the Los Angeles Games, he won them all.
While not all the stories are quite as extreme as Rowdy Gaines’, the road to the Olympic podium is longer than all the rest. The very fact that the Olympics only come around once every four years and attract the most elite athletes from every corner of the globe means each athlete has a lot in common. They all share common stories of sacrifice, training, discipline, support, disappointment, struggles, injuries, and a relentless drive to win.
There is something incredible about the spirit of Olympians—that internal drive for greatness and the desire to push their bodies to the very limit. Rowdy’s story teaches us about grit, consistency and overcoming disappointment. It inspires me to persevere and consistently pursue God’s best in all areas of my life. He truly kept his eyes on the prize. How much more should we be able to fix our eyes on Jesus, even when the road is long or disappointing?
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” – Colossians 3:23 (NIV)
Another Olympian, sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross, offers us more insight into what it takes to compete at this level and how to live for Christ. She won four total gold medals (in 2004, 2008 and 2012) and was named Female Athlete of the Decade, remaining at the top of her sport for so long and competing well into her 30s. When asked recently how she was able to maintain focus in the midst of so many distractions, Sanya credited her faith.
First, she learned at an early age to set lofty goals. Goals that didn’t require her to push weren’t worth making, so she dreamed big. Even now, Sanya has a “vision board” to give her a daily reminder of what she wants to accomplish and why she is working so hard. She keeps it front and center; her goals are visible and keep her on track.
Second, Sanya learned to shut off the noise. She turned down the volume on her own doubts, fears and feelings of not being good enough. She stopped listening to the naysayers who said she couldn’t do it. Instead, she focused on believing nothing was impossible for God. She learned to win the battle of the mind on a daily basis by controlling the conversation and avoiding discouragement.
Third, she leaned into her support team. Competing at the highest level requires support and encouragement. When people close to you understand your goals and want you to have success, they help you weather the storms, recover from setbacks and keep on striving. A support team helps you see what God is doing—in success and failure. It takes a core group of “insiders” to keep us on track.
These same lessons apply in life. We will need incredible grit to overcome adversity and disappointment. We need to consistently pursue Christ and the life He has for us. We need to dream big and pursue goals that stretch us so we can become who we’re made to be. We need to mute those voices (inside and out) that discourage us and sabotage our progress. And we need to surround ourselves with other folks who are pursuing godliness and God’s purposes in their lives.
The road that leads to glory in sports is long and difficult, as is the road that leads to life and God’s glory. Few find it, and fewer still choose to take it because of the sacrifice required. But, in the end, it will be so worth it.
Take the long road. Take that road less traveled. Pursue God’s best. This is the road that leads to life!
| Your First Steps Down The Long Road:
1. Write down a "lofty goal" that you want to accomplish (one that makes you stretch).
2. Write down the fear you will conquer to achieve that goal.
3. Write down 2-3 names of people who will make up your support team.
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