Going for Gold

Philippians 3:13-14
New International Version (NIV)

"13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Through the last 17 days most of us were glued to the TV watching the London 2012 Olympic games. Well, at least I was. I've always been fascinated with the developments of competition and some of the interesting stories that athletes bring to the table.

It takes a lot of effort for an athlete to develop the abilities that secures them a spot on what is considered the ultimate sporting stage. at a given point in time they all meet on a particular place to compete for either gold, silver or bronze. Not all of them win, though. It has to be frustrating at least to train and not make it to the podium. That is the story of many athletes. However, just by not giving up, they certainly improve their chances to obtain a prize within the next four years.
As I see it, we need to go through the same trials in order to succeed. They might not be physical, but emotional, but believe me, they can be as taxing as any sporting event. i wouldn't dream to compare myself to an athlete, but I have goals to set and my own medals to win.

On the "Fighting Lupus Category" I have been excelling lately. after quite a rough patch I am asympthomatic and within remission. It took a lot of personal sacrifice and the support of a network of friends, family and health professionals, but I got there.

I like to see things as Paul saw them through his letter to Philippians. The best way to get ahead is forgetting about the stumbles of our past, be it for a professional runner or for a lupus patient, looking back will make you loose sight of your goal at best, stumble and fall at worst.

Training is never easy, but it guarantees results. Let's allow Jesus to lead the way, to lift a lot of our pressures and guide us to step ahead, and go for the gold.