GOLD
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics came to a close yesterday and we celebrated the incredible achievements and inspirational stories of people around the world that give us hope.
What an incredible 16 days of global competition.
Every Olympic competitor competes for one thing, one dream and that reward is to win GOLD. This medal that hangs around the neck of every athlete that has achieved such a great prize, shines as a symbol of the pinnacle of Olympic extravagance.
In Ephesians 4 v 25 - 5 v 2 Paul writes a commentary on the Olympic performance of a Christian life.
I am never comfortable with the more modern inclusion of a title to this Biblical passage as “Rules” for holy living. Rules feel like a rod rather than a calling to strive for 'Gold'.
If you view this as an evocative commentary of an athlete’s performance it becomes a call to perform, to commit and to train. And to do this in the same way we saw hundreds of amazing human beings across the world committed to perform to the best of their ability to achieve gold.
And yet the last few verses of Paul’s commentary gives us an incredible promise: an outrageous gift given to us.
“His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. ~Ephesians 5 v1,2
That is what extravagant love looks like and our gold medal is already won.
God has given us everything of himself to us: GOD GIVES US GOLD
We don’t win because of what we can do for God but because of what God gives to us.
We all win GOLD.
And this is what calls us on to train, to learn, and to listen to the commentary that Paul shares.
“His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.” ~Ephesians 4 v 30
Its a gift worth GOLD