In the recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting making her the first American to win 5 Olympic medals in 5 consecutive Olympic games. That’s a span of 20 years and not her only distinction. In the 2012 games, she hit 99 out of 100 skeet setting a new Olympic record and tying the world record for the event. As if that wasn’t accomplishment enough... her first medal was in the 1996 Summer Games making her the youngest female gold medalist in Olympic shooting.
How does this happen?
In an interview with the New York Times, Rhode answers the question of how. She shoots anywhere from 500 to 1,000 rounds every day of the week year around. To save you the math, this is 3,000,000 plus shots with a shotgun. That’s 600,000 rounds per medal. Over three million practice shots. Time after time. Every single day on her calendar.
Kim would be the first to tell you... it’s all about the preparation. What you do on your own time is as important (if not more so) than what you do in the spotlight. Her excellence on the range is due to her diligence, discipline, and perseverance. In other words... there are no shortcuts. Gold medals don’t hang around the necks of those that wing it... that hope for the best... that count on good fortune or a favorable breeze. Champions don’t materialize... they are made.
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about this type of preparation.
“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
All of us run the race of life. We lace up our shoes each morning, get on a bus or in a car, and head somewhere that requires us to make a difference. We make decisions, contribute to relationships, communicate ideas, raise children, and live out the life that unfolds in front of us. But are we successful? Do we make the most of every opportunity or do we find ourselves reacting... flat-footed. Underprepared for the challenges...
Which brings us to the next important question... how much training do we do? How much of our day is preparation? How many minutes are spent intentionally trying to better ourselves? Are we living on purpose?
- How much time is spent reading and meditating on the scriptures? How many Bible verses have I memorized and keep on my heart?
- How many people do I hold grudges against? Why haven’t I forgiven them?
Am I raising my children in a way that honors God? How much quality time do I spend with them? Do they know God?
Am I being the husband/wife that God wants me to be? Is most of my energy spent trying to change my spouse or is it spent becoming a better one?
Do I spend my day blaming others or confessing my shortcomings to God?
When was the last time I asked for forgiveness? Given forgiveness?
Am I living out what I claim to believe? Or do I tell people I believe it because that’s what they expect me to say?
We can avoid these questions or we can run toward them. Don’t settle. Bronze is a beautiful color... but you were created for gold. The eternal prize Paul was talking about? The everlasting salvation found in Christ...making a Kingdom difference in the lives of those around you... changing the destiny of someone bound for eternal separation from God into a life-changing eternal relationship with Him. Growing in Christ... Not surviving life but really living it to its fullest. That’s what we’re after. That’s why we train. To reach the potential that God has placed in our hearts... to fulfill our destiny... to become the men and women that change the world.... and give all glory to God in the process.
But we can’t do it if we aren’t prepared. It isn’t easy. Christ never promised us ease of lifestyle... He promised eternal reward. The challenges will be hard... the competition fierce... and the opposing team? An enemy that prowls like a lion just waiting for us to stop growing and start settling. Ready to win? Every race... every result... the path to every gold medal was all started the same way.
Deciding to begin.
