Most of us take some amount of pride in our country…especially when it comes to the Olympics. When your nation is atop that medal-winners’ stand and your national anthem is playing, even if you’re completely non-athletic, there is a sense of pride that inevitably wells up inside of all of us. It doesn’t matter if a runner from your country just won the 400m, your water polo team just wrapped up the gold, or (if you’re like me) you’ve waited to see the US Eagles take home a medal in 7s Rugby, it’s a great moment.
And yet…what about all the other countries gathered from all the corners of the globe to participate in this crazy athletic spectacle?
Over the coming days that the Olympics are taking place in Rio de Janeiro, here’s a challenge – for each day of the Olympics, do a little research on a new country, and pray for that nation.
Maybe a javelin thrower from Poland made you say, “Whoa…” with a perfect throw.
Maybe a synchronized diving team from China made you think, “How do they do that?”
Maybe an Iranian lifter hoisted over 200kg over his head and you thought, “Good grief.”
Whoever the athlete, whatever the country, dig a little deeper over the coming weeks. Pray for those athletes. Pray for the nation that they represent. Pray that YOU might have an impact, through your prayers and possibly going in the future. Pray for the Christian athletes who are there, giving their all, to have a gospel-impact on their fellow competitors.
Over the next few weeks – Don’t. Waste. Your. Olympics.