"It matters a great deal who is going to win, but not at all who won"
Things that last
For here we do not have an enduring city but we are looking for the city that is to come. Hebrews 13:14When Ben Johnson was asked after the 1988 Olympic 100 metres final which he valued more: the gold medal or the world record, he replied: “The gold medal because no one can take it away from you”. The following day, after a positive drugs test, the authorities took his medal away.
It is the nature of sport that nothing lasts. There is one champion and many ex-champions. There are many ex-world record holders. Success one year is no guarantee for the next. Then there is the inescapable ageing process. All of us find that there are things we used to be able to do that the body now refuses to! I love sport. I love this world. I am so grateful to God for the privilege of being alive. But I know it will not last.
In the midst of all the recognition that so much that we value has only a temporary nature, it is good to be reminded that our real focus should not be on this world but on the life to come. We are to live our lives in the light of eternity. Now, don’t misunderstand me. Go out to today and give it your all in the gym or on the track/pitch/field/court – as onto the Lord. But at the same time, recognize that this world will pass away and that you should be looking for and preparing for the city that is to come.