What Would a Spiritual Olympics Look Like?

We're right in the middle of the Summer Olympics.

Events include: Swimming, Field Hockey, Basketball, Gymnastics, Diving, Judo, Fencing, Rugby, Soccer, Tennis, Cycling, Fencing and Rowing.

Hopefully, you've had a chance to watch some of the events and seen the spectacular level of talent among the athletes.

Which got me to wondering: What would a Spiritual Olympics look like? What events would it include? Maybe things like...

Understanding.

Those competing in this event would need hefty amounts of thought, purpose, and meditation in order to make the final cut. Of course knowledge would be an essential ingredient, but not the final result. (Sort of like muscle development is the by-product of sustained physical exertion).

Praying.

Absolutely essential, don't you think?

If praying is direct communication between us and God, then it would most likely be billed as one of the premier events. Of course, there would be sub-categories, like intercessory and healing prayer.

Thanksgiving.

Another premier event. How do we get anywhere in our walk with God without the ability to thank God for everything that God's done for us? This category could be divided up among areas of life where we're thankful for God's presence, like family/home life, work, friendships, health and finances. And speaking of God's presence, how about...

Seeking.

Although elements of praying and thanksgiving come in to play, seeking God is so important that it would most likely qualify as a separate category. It would include determination and fortitude necessary to compete at an Olympic level.

Faithfulness.

Where would we be in our walk with God without faithfulness! To the well-seasoned spiritual athlete, faithfulness is essential to maintaining an ever-growing relationship with God.

Wisdom.

Just like knowledge is linked to understanding, understanding is linked to wisdom. Veteran Spiritual Olympians would know that there's a difference between wisdom and understanding. Applying yourself to learning brings understanding. But true wisdom comes from God. Spiritual exercise, spending time in God's presence promotes wisdom.

Love.

How could we leave this one out?! Jesus gave the commandment to love one another (John 13.34). A few years later Paul wrote down a pretty good description of what love looks like (1 Corinthians 13.4-7). It's the most powerful social and spiritual lubricant around. And makes the next event possible...

Forgiveness.

This event goes hand-in-hand with love. You can't have one without the other. At least not this side of Heaven. It's absolutely essential for emotional, spiritual and mental health. In fact, it's so important that when Peter, almost wistfully, asked Jesus, "Master, how many times must I forgive? Seven?" Jesus answered: "Seventy times seven." If you do the math it totals out to 490 times. But of course, Jesus wasn't talking numbers. His point was to keep on forgiving, not tallying up the cost or the number of times it's necessary.

Awe.

All of the above events contribute to this one. Simply being captivated, entranced by God's presence brings awe. It's also made up of reverence and respect and old-fashioned fear (being defined as an awareness of the magnitude of God).

Come to think of it, all of the "events" in the Spiritual Olympics tie in to each other. They each have an important part to play in our spiritual development.

And remember: Even if you'll never be a contender in the Summer Olympics, each of us has an equal shot at being part of the Spiritual Olympics. In fact, it's exciting to note that each of us could receive several "gold medals" for our participation!

Photo Credit: www.humanosphere.org