We were created in the likeness and image of The Creator…"to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph 2:10)

But all to often I pursue the good works and not the One who created me and prepared the works for me. My glory MUST be hidden in the cross of Christ. If I passionately pursue achievement or glory for myself (even when disguised as ministry or philanthropy)- the moment I think I've found it Matthew 10:39 says I've lost.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”

(Matthew 10:39)

Let us pursue Christ with all the heart, discipline and vigor of a world class athlete and be surprised by joy when our Creator works in and through us to achieve greatness for his glory!

You've got a great style that challenges but doesn't berate me for being human. Keep providing uplifting stories of real-life people that experience life 60 minutes an hour and make the same mistakes I make. I especially like your last comment in the blog above, "I hope she is!" With people like you praying for her and neighbors, friends and other believer's supporting her, assuredly she will feel the hand of God upon her life.

I'm going back to Amazon to buy CRAVE. Cheers- Steve

I am a pastor in the Vail Valley. The overflow of the heart the mouth with speak. Lindsey makes no mention of Jesus. Tebow does. Breeze does. Lindsey's comments are more like Tom Brady than Tim Tebow.

Brady,
" ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, ‘God, it's got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn't, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be.”

What's the answer?

“I wish I knew. I wish I knew,” says Brady. "I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I’m trying to find."

Read the whole thing here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/03/60minut...

Great illustration CT and let's go with what is said not what we want to be true. Pray for her to accept Christ or become bold in her faith.

Judd

Thanks for your comments. I will take them to heart and consider what you've said.

I think you're right. What Lindsey said does not preclude her from being a faithful Christian, and I really didn't mean to make the post about her faith. I tried to add in comments in the post and at the end in an attempt to make that clear. But perhaps the nature of the post itself goes too far in creating that impression.

My original intent was to help draw our attention from the temporal to the eternal, to take something we're all interested in at the moment and point us back to Jesus. I know I need this as a daily reminder.

I'm no better than Lindsey. She has given up everything for this; it's why she works hard. I have done the same with writing. I've sacrificed my daily relationship with Jesus and my wife and my friends for the sake of writing, and I've been chasing a perishable wreath. This post was written in part as an exhortation to myself, which most of them tend to be, but it should perhaps contain a more repentant tone. I hope these comments will suffice.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

I like Ed's comment. I will turn it around here. In concerning yourself in what Lindsey didn't do and not what she did, you are like Martha.

I think it would have been better to give thanks to the way God blesses us with talents, gifts and the fortitude to persevere and build skills to the degree of excellence that Lindsey possesses. I would give thanks that we can share in it via events like the Olympics and praise the magnificence of God's creation.

One of the wonders of the Olympics, is that while we give some fealty to the athletes from our homeland, most of us watch the games in simple awe. That's part of why the Tonya Harding's are reviled, as is cheating by any athlete.

My prayer and hope is that the athletes experience a similar appreciation and respect for each other. That as the memory of the games fade, where they finished becomes not a matter of winning and losing but of wonder. That as that happens they see not their momentary glory or failure, but the glory of God who blessed them so. And that seeing that inspires their faith. As watching their performance in the Olympics–to which I give God glory–has inspired mine.

As you said, knowing Jesus as our ultimate prize does not preclude us from the success, particularly when we give God the glory. I'd even say our success has more meaning in a sense when we do it for His glory.

Thank you for sharing…