Disappointment, Day 3

Forgive me for being late with today's devotion. My ISP wasn't running like they should be, a little disappointing.

If we take another look at our Olympian from yesterdays devotional there is a lot to be learned from her experience in regards to disappointment. She competed again on Tuesday night and again will go home with the silver medal in the event. When you watch her performance, you know that she has trained and endured the pain and joy of committing a life to a specific goal. This gymnast will go home with 4 silver and 1 gold. An extraordinary accomplishment. But, maybe disappointing to her. Do you think for a moment she will regret a lifetime of training because she got silver?

Life and our Christian walks can be paralleled to the Olympians. Our goal in this race is to do the will of God, live a life as an example of his grace and freedom so that all men may be saved. Sometimes there are disappointing moments.

It is inevitable that a friend will say something hurtful. A spouse won't be home on time. A child won't obey. A sibling will let you down. A good Christian will sin. A pastor will fail. You won't accomplish everything you planned to do.

Don't be afraid of the disappointment. Be afraid you will look back and regret not even trying. The race you are running, you have already taken gold. Eternal Life is an amazing prize. Stand up with the knowledge that you are a child of God, ready to endure a little sacrifice to see what great things God can do through you in the process.

When I watch the Olympics it always seems pretty ovious who the true contenders are for the medals. You just know that they believe they will win. They have experienced the sting of failure at some point. Somewhere deep down they believe in their abilities. They have faith in their coaching and training.

Deep down, do you believe your God and His promises? Because it shows. When people see you get knocked down as a Christian and get back up, you show your faith to all who are watching.

One of my favorite sayings comes from my pastor. This won't be exact, so this is an imperfect quote but one that has motivated me to stand up and do a few more things with my life for God.

"Have the faith to dream and plan with the idea that they will only succeed if God intervenes."

Please continue to pray for Annemarie M this week.