Every four years, there is a global competition we all know called the Olympics. It is held both in the summer and winter, and features the world’s leading international sporting events. Hundreds of men and woman from every corner of the world work and train to be one of the few elites who are considered “good” enough to be in the games and go for the gold.
The athletes compete for a spot on the podium and only the top three finishers receive an award. Being one of the top three finalists is an amazing accomplishment. However, without a doubt, receiving the top award and becoming an Olympic gold medalist is the most coveted finish for any athlete who participates. It is a significant achievement.
In God’s economy, there is also a standard of significance. It is not, however, based on performance. Serving is often misconstrued as a measure of meaning or a significant achievement for believers. Things like volunteering for the nursery, leading a Bible study, helping in VBS, being a greeter before service, singing in the choir or helping in other areas that need participation to function are considered a worthy pursuit. While serving is very important, it sometimes creates a sense of self-worth that can eclipse who we are in Christ with what we do for Him.
The true standard God uses for determining our worth is found in 1 Peter 1:7. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. According to this, our faith is more precious and worth more than gold to Him.
The definition of faith is: “Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.” Yet, looking merely at this meaning doesn’t put it into perspective. However, the purpose of faith as described in 1 Peter, reveals the profound importance of it: for the praise, glory, and honor of Jesus Christ.
This is the reason life can be difficult. Even in the midst of doing all we can for the Lord, a virtual storm of huge proportion can blow into our lives and leave us devastated. Often, we wonder why, not understanding how we could be singled out for something bad. If God loves us why would He allow it? The truth is, He allows it because He does love us. Trials are not oppression from God but an opportunity for Him to strengthen our faith, the thing He values the most in us.
Life is fluid and it will change, sometimes in an instant. Being a believer does not make us immune to sorrow and there is purpose in the pain. We are God’s love and our faith is His gold. When the journey gets rocky and rough, remember it can be a good opportunity to “go for gold.”
Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God
whose ways you may not understand at the time.”
Oswald Chambers
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