God's Gold MEDALists

God's Gold MEDALists Every two years, the Olympic Games capture our attention. More than just athletes competing in sports, the Olympics touches our hearts because we see real people with real lives, many of them having overcome tremendous obstacles to see tragedy turn into triumph. In 1976 in Montreal, Shun Fujimoto was a Japanese gymnast, favored to win the gold medal. During the floor exercises, he broke his right kneecap, right before his strongest competition, the rings. But Fujimoto was determined not to quit. His rings performance was flawless, but the watching world held its breathe in anticipation as time came for Fujimoto's dismount, a twisting triple somersalt--how could a broken kneecap possibly withstand the pain, the strain, the impact? But Fujimoto amazingly pulled off a flawless dismount as well, earning a gold medal not only for himself but for the Japanese gymnastics team as well. When asked later how he was able to do it, he replied, "My desire to win was greater than my moment of pain." I experienced a similar incident when I was a wrestler in high school. It was the 1974 Far East Nationals, and I was ranked no. 1 in all of Japan in my weight class. On the first day of competition, I fractured my left elbow. Pain raced through my arm as my wrestling coach nurtured the injury with bandages and ice. The next day he asked, "What do you want to do? Do you want to go on?" Though my swollen elbow still throbbed with pain, I said, "Yes, I have to." To my surprise, he took the bandage off my left elbow and wrapped it around my right elbow. "What are you doing, I asked?" In his wisdom, he reasoned: "Everyone knows you have an injury. They will go for the bandaged arm." Sure enough, my opponents all went for the arm that was bandaged-and were they in for a rude awakening! Just as others wondered about Fujimoto, you might wonder why I would take that risk and continue. But when you've worked so hard and come that far, it's too late to turn back. Like Fujimoto, my desire to win was greater than my moment of pain. How many of us, as children of God, have that same commitment, that same dedication, that same determination in our battle for the Kingdom of God? I submit to you that we, too, can be gold medalists for God. I have used the word MEDAL as an acronym to illustrate the steps we take to get there. 1. MESSAGE: God has given each of us a life message, each of a promise. But instead we see the giants, we see the cir****tances, and we forget the message. Discouragements and distractions cause us to lose sight of our promised destinations. What is your personal life message? No matter where we are or what has happened, we need to get back to what God has told us! He keeps His promises, and He will bring it to pass! 2. EVANGELISM: What does God mean by evangelism? He wants us to impact our culture. Far too often, we focus on the four walls of blessing instead of getting outside the walls. We want to build our kingdoms, but if we build HIS Kingdom, He will take care of ours. In the original language of the Hebrew Scriptures, the word "yada" means to know God intimately and passionately. Passion for God leads to compassion for souls. Evangelism is the natural outcome of a life that is passionately in love with God. 3. DISCIPLESHIP: Many times, we look to formulas for discipleship, we look for strategies that are working for others. But successful structures without God are nothing more than institutional shells void of power, and what we get are clones of modern-day Christianity instead of imitators of Christ. We must instead seek His presence first, then He provides the power and the strategies. It's all about the heart--when the heart is right, He gives the strategy. 4. AMBASSADORSHIP: Like the Olympic competitor or the professional athlete, we are all role models to somebody. As Christians, we are called to be even more than role models, we are entrusted as ambassadors for Christ, His representatives to the world in which we live. We are called to be His witnesses as defined in Proverbs 14:25: "A true witness rescues lives." He has given each of us the ministry of reconciliation. When we make ourselves available, He opens the doors and gives us the authority, as ambassadors, to "go" in His name and to speak on His behalf. 5. LEADERSHIP: As Jesus came not to be served but to serve, we too must learn to serve those we lead. And once again, we are ALL called to lead, and we lead by example by living lives that are holy and consecrated to God. I'm sure we have all experienced the stirring in our hearts as we watch an athlete stand on the platform, the anthem of his country playing throughout the arena or the stadium, receiving with pride the hard-earned medal of gold. One day we will stand before God, hearing not our national anthem but instead the hosts of heaven singing praises to His glory. We will bow in humility as He places crowns of gold on our heads, which we give back to Him in return, knowing we have earned nothing but have received only His love, grace, and mercy. Let us strive to be God's gold MEDALists, so we may someday hear the sweetest words of all, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your Master's rest."

Thank you Letty, This really touched me, and I know it was sent from the Lord. I so much want to serve Him more. I know He will use me. I just have to let Him. I don't know how I got so turned around. It's time to put the focus back on Christ. The way it used to be. Man I'm telling you, The Lord has really been talking to my heart today, Through His word, the radio, and now you. Thank you Jesus! May God continue to use & bless you, In His service, Annette

I've always been told that if he's calling.....we better listen. HUgs, Letty