Competition can be good (we even chant about it here at Camp...(COOOMPETITION/COMPETITON/COMPETITION) when we take to heart the opportunity to challenge ourselves to excel by taking on tasks that demand our very best effort. Have you ever noticed that competition brings out the best and the worst in us?
We have recently concluded one of the premier stages of worldwide competition…the 2010 Winter Olympics. When you think back on those two weeks and the many countries and sports represented, the athletes who won the medals or had the worst defeats most likely come to mind. It is a given that to reach this level of competition it takes hours upon hours of practice striving for the goal of winning a medal. What happens when that goal is not attained? This is where we learn a lot about ourselves.
Here are a few names from the 2010 Olympics I would like you to know about: Trevor Marsicano (speed skating), Jilleanne Rookard (speed skating), Kelly Clark (snowboarding), and Curt Tomasevicz (bobsledding). What do they have in common besides all being competitors in the 2010 Olympics striving for victory-- they each profess a faith in Jesus Christ and are bold in their witness about how it shapes their attitudes in both winning and losing. Curt Tomazevicz sums it up well, "The way I conduct myself could be seen around the world. In the heat of competitions, emotions run high. It can be easy to lose tempers, get mad, or argue with officials or opponents. But the person that keeps Christ as a priority throughout the competition seems to be the winner no matter what the score. A great Christian can remain calm in pressure situations, upbeat in the face of defeat, and even content with not winning. It's important to be consistently reminded that winning and losing are not the most important things in life. The bigger picture is serving God the right way. I pray that I will always compete as a man with a strong apparent faith."
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat bring to surface our attitudes. Attitudes reflect the issues residing in our heart. When we compete for an audience of One (our Lord Jesus) the attitude of our heart will be our strength and foundation. (Colossians 3:23) What an attitude of humility and grace was reflected by these Olympians! Truly their true hearts were reflected in their competitions.
Our passion and purpose at T Bar M Camps is to build "Champions and Warriors" for Christ on and off the fields, courts, tracks, band halls, stages and classrooms. To compete as a champion, we must stay in the game, keep our eyes focused on Jesus and give a total commitment no matter what the circumstances.
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