Repost - "The Olympic Spirit"

The Following article was first published under yapdates.blogspot.com (http://bit.ly/9FO8oa).

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The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games end this Sunday 28th February 2010. In terms of gold medals, this third attempt is the best ever by a Canadian city. Montreal (Summer 1976) and Calgary (Winter 1988). So far, the host country Canada has raked in 7 golds, and more are expected to come. Of course, for a die-hard hockey fan, none of these really matter if Canada fails to bring in a gold in Ice-Hockey. In fact, many are already preparing for the gold medal game this coming Sunday noon. Some churches have even prepared large screens for their members and friends to capture the historic occasion. Even though Canada is not officially in the gold medal game yet, anyone walking in downtown Vancouver is confident that Canada will be there. Having swept past Russia 7-3 last night, Canadians all over are preparing and hungry for a rematch between Canada and the USA. After the surprise upset last week where Canada lost 5-3 to the USA, this time, Team Canada will be ready.

The Olympic Spirit

This is one Olympic moment to remember. It is a moment in which we cherish our beloved hometown heroes. It is a moment where we marvel at history being made. It is a moment in which we experience the ecstasy of human achievement. In a competition that is highly contested and sometimes results disputed, everyone plays to win. Even though some are there for the experience, the fact is that, to be an Olympian is already an accomplishment in itself. What exactly is an Olympian? What exactly is the Olympic Spirit?

Baron Pierre de Coubertin has been credited as the founder of the modern version of the Olympic Games. His famous words ring true to this day. With regards to the Olympic Spirit, he says:

"It is not about winning but taking part, not conquering but fighting well."

This is important. In a winner-takes-it-all world, sometimes, we can allow our infatuation with medals and results overwhelm us to the point that we miss out the 'participation' aspect. There has been many cases where athletes behave in an unsportsmanlike manner. Take the victory of Canada's Alexandre Bilodeau for example. After winning the first gold medal for Canada, others grumbled about his win. One Australian daily reported that the silver medalist, Begg-Smith representing Australia should have won. Geoff Lipshut was quoted as saying:

"My own opinion is that probably Alex is not capable of a 4.8 or a 4.9 (on his turns) ... because 5 is a perfect score." (link)

Is this a case of sour grapes? Probably, it is a spur of the moment comment as a result of heightened emotions. I believe that the Australian officials will take a more reasonable stance once the results sink in.

True Competitor

Personally, I believe that sportsmanship is a mark of a true competitor. Whether one wins or loses, one should be proud of having been part of the sports to spur one another on toward achieving their best. A healthy competition is only when all athletes give of their best. It makes it worthwhile. It motivates each athlete to compete and fight well. It encourages the public to see that dreams can come true. I like what the Canadian skier, Jennifer Heil says about her silver medal. She said:

"I really don't feel like I lost gold, I really feel like I won silver." (link)

While she may have felt let down by her failure to win gold, I think this should be the attitude of all competitors. The joy is in participation. The reward is in knowing that one has tried the best. If there is a medal won, great. If there is no medal, give thanks for the privilege of being able to compete in the first place.

More Than Gold Within Us
Truly, a thankful heart goes a long way. As a Christian, I believe that this is where Christian athletes can shine for God. With a thankful heart, be grateful for the privilege to compete. For the Christian, if winning is important, there is something else that is 'more than gold.' In fact, this is precisely why a group of Vancouver churches have banded together under the umbrella, "More Than Gold," to remind all of us, that winning is not the end of it all. It is competing for something that is more than gold.

We may not know the extent of the influence of More Than Gold. However, I must say that the words 'More Than Gold' (MTG) captures the Olympic Spirit in more ways than one. It is helpful to contrast "Just Gold" vs "More Than Gold."

Firstly, there can only be one gold medal winner. In MTG, we are all winners in the name of Christ. Secondly, in the medal race, some people use all kinds of ways to win. Some use cheating, like drugs. In MTG, there is no need to do any cheating. One seeks to give more than to receive. Thirdly, a 'Just-Gold' mindset tempts one to try to win at all costs. A MTG mindset reminds us that winning is just not the only thing in life. Whether one wins or loses, one can be proud of the fact that they have tried. Finally, in the MTG website, there are many different athletes whose testimonies reflect a common faith in Jesus. They come from diverse ethnicity, different nationalities and various other backgrounds. They may compete under the flag of their respective countries. However, all of them know that something else is at stake: their witness for Christ. Their stories can be found under the "Beyond the Ultimate" website. Some of their quotes are worth repeating here. Reading them warms my heart. I pray that you experience the same too.

Quotes from Olympians who are Christians:

• "The way that 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 is in the end. 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." (Curt Tomasevicz, Bobsled, USA)
  
• “Having Jesus in my life makes a big difference. Even if you fail, God can make the best of it. He stands behind you and carries you through the difficult times. I don’t know how I would survive without God, knowing that whatever I do in competition is good enough and doesn’t affect what God thinks of me. To get to the top in the world of sports there is so much pressure. People may think you have everything in life but I have learned that knowing Jesus and being loved by Him is the only thing that can really satisfy me.” (Ursula Bruhin, Snow Boarding, Switzerland)
  
• "My courage comes from my faith, and I don’t know any other way of thinking about it. It’s engrained in me and I can rely on God and know that He has a plan for me and things are in His control, not mine. That’s where my courage comes from." (Lyndon Rush, Driver in Bobsled, Canada)
  
• “There are great pressures – having spent so many years of effort just to get there. The expectations of your team and country and your own expectations, the coach is under pressure and passes that pressure on to athlete. If your race does not go well everything seems to collapse and you don’t know how to deal with it. As a Christian if I knew I had done all the preparation I could then I was able just to leave the rest to God.” (Katya Antonuk, Cross Country, Russia)
  
• "Whether the suffering is large or small, many people believe they will feel joy only after their circumstances get better. Actually, it’s the other way around. Making time and choosing God’s joy when your circumstances are at their worst gives you the energy to face those difficulties and truly effect change. The secret is to allow God to continually clear out the old cobwebs and make room for new joy in your life." (Bonnie StJohn, Paralympic, USA)

Sob. Sob. I think these are true Olympians in the Lord. One more thing, as light of the world and salt of the earth, how are we training for the spiritual Olympics?

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim 4:7)

May we be true Olympians in the Lord, not just in name but in the heart. All of us can be.

conrade

Re-Post: “A Zeal Misplaced?”

This article was first published by Cook International in November 2008 issue of Cook International Partners, CCMI.


 
conrade


 

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A ZEAL MISPLACED?

Christian workers can be considered to be one of the most driven people on earth. Inspired by faith in God, they readily run the race even without ample remuneration. History is flushed with testimonies that encourage such zeal.

• "Unless I can be instructed with evidence from the Holy Scriptures. … I cannot and will not recant. ….. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen." (Martin Luther, Reformer, 15^th Century)
  
• "Give me Scotland or I die." (John Knox, Scottish Presbyterian, 16^th Century)
  
• "Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God." (William Carey, Baptist missionary to India, 18^th Century)
  
• "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:14)

 Like a convenient spiritual to-go lunch box, young Christians can easily pack these words and run forward in the name of faith. In their eyes, it is a joy to serve God. There are no mountains too tall for God to move, no oceans too deep for God to touch and no sky too high for God to reach. Such zeal provides a remarkable source of energy. Will they ever say die? No. Hopefully, they will realize that even though they serve the Immortal God, they are still mortal beings. A time will come when naiveté meets cynicism. A Barna research group finding reveals that the average pastorate twenty years ago was about 7 years. In 1993, this has dropped to 4 years.  By doing a Google search on 'pastors leaving ministry,' we read an alarming trend in North America, which should put the rest of the world on notice. Even the renowned Episcopal preacher Barbara Brown Taylor, after years of dedicated service to the pastorate felt that she had to 'leave church' in order to keep her faith!¹  It is easy to blame burnout, overwork and exhaustion as a reason for ministry withdrawal.  It is far too simple to blame the externals. Perhaps, the reason for ministry fatigue and Christian burnout is not external but something much more internal and personal. It is a misplaced understanding of true zeal.  The Apostle Paul warns against zeal without knowledge. 

"For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." (Romans 10:2)

John Stott is one of the foremost observers of the trends of Christian missions in modern times. He realizes that there is always a need to hold both zeal and knowledge. It is foolish to give up everything for Christ without properly counting the cost. 


 

"Now I thank God for zeal. Heaven forbid that knowledge without zeal should replace zeal without knowledge! God's purpose is both, zeal directed by knowledge, knowledge fired with zeal."²

A zeal misplaced is of no service to God at all. The 20^th Century theologian and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that when one boards the wrong train, it is essentially useless even if one runs speedily on the corridor in the other direction. Isn't it a shame for one to spend hours to assemble a house of sticks, only to realize that the base is actually a temporary shaky platform? Or for one to chalk up countless hours on something only to realize that it is not necessary at all in the first place?  Truly, truly, a misplaced zeal gets us nowhere. It may even lead us into a rabbit's hole of despair.


 
Effects of Zeal without Knowledge

The apostle Paul accuses the Pharisees for pursuing the law without adequate knowledge of God's grace. The early Christian believers in Jerusalem were also 'zealous for the law,' so much so that Paul has to accede to their requirements for purification so as not to stumble them (Acts 21:20b). There are at least five effects of misplaced zeal. The first one is fatal. One extreme case of zeal without knowledge is the Jonestown massacre-suicide in 1978. The false prophet, Jim Jones under the umbrella of the People's Temple, led all his followers to their deaths in South America. They have zeal, tremendous amount of it. Unfortunately, it was based on a faulty theology. Such a misplaced zeal led to 909 innocent deaths.


 
Many of us will prefer to think that we are not that extreme. Yet, the potential for Christians to work zealously without knowledge is always present. In churches, people work so much that it can be very difficult to get a day off. Pastors are on call 24 hours a day, for congregational needs can be very unpredictable. If Sundays are the busiest day of the week, the other days are basically spent on preparing for this hectic day. Some give up established professional careers so as to spend more time doing lowly paid 'Christian' work. It is a double whammy. While accepting a lower salary or no salary, they willingly embrace the work ethic of burning it all up for Christ. Such behaviour is indeed honourable. It also makes one more vulnerable to abuse and susceptible to unrealistic expectations. Becoming a 'workaholic for Christ' can subtly become an acceptable 'Christian' virtue. John O' Neikirk calls it 'the pain that others applaud.' Diane Fassel calls it a 'killer disease.' It is an addiction that is based on a faulty premise, the harder one work, the greater the self-fulfillment. A misplaced zeal is like cancer that spreads. It draws all attention to self to the detriment of the community. This is the second effect.


A third consequence of misplaced zeal is unhealthy perfectionism.  Such people find it hard to discern the difference between the 'pursuit of excellence' and the 'perils of perfectionism.' Jesus exhorts believers to be perfect (Matthew 5:48). Perfectionists often take this verse out of context and justify their actions accordingly. We need to learn to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy forms of perfection. Dr Ralph Winter in Perfecting Ourselves to Death, sees healthy perfectionism as 'adaptive, positive, healthy and constructive.' It enables one to have good self-esteem. It strives for excellence but also realistic about failures. Unhealthy perfectionism on the other hand is 'maladaptive, negative, unhealthy, destructive.' It sets unrealistic high standards and seeks to achieve them at all costs. Failure is typically generalized and as a result, it can become controlling that easily leads to exhaustion.³ Misplaced zeal that leads to unhealthy perfectionism can also be deadly to relationships.


A fourth consequence of misplaced zeal is the detriment of relationships not only at work but at home. A pastor friend of mine shared about his struggles in his marriage. A dedicated servant of God, he gave his all to the church and Christian activities, almost to the point of sacrificing a bulk of his personal time for the sake of his perceived ideas of serving the kingdom. His wife protested that he gave away all his emotional cookies to others only to return home with emotional crumbs for his wife. Imagine a situation where both husband and wife gave their all to the ministry only to return home hungry with only crumbs for each other. This can easily lead to unfulfilled marriages, unmet needs and a dangerous walk along the park of adultery and temptations of all sorts.  The fifth consequence is something more personal. A misplaced zeal can easily lead a well-intentioned worker to proclaim: "I WORK, THEREFORE I AM."  True zeal is never at the expense of one's integrity before God. No amount of work can replace one's identity for God. It is not work that defines one's identity. Neither is it the amount of achievements that makes one worthy of God's calling. Instead it is grace. Grace to receive; Grace to give; Grace to share; Grace to understand. True zeal stems from true knowledge, and true knowledge begets true zeal. Our understanding of zeal has to be reformed. How then do we formulate a wholesome understanding of true zeal? We can take a leaf from the psalms of David.


A Zeal Recovered and Refreshed

For the Christian, grace is constantly flowing from the precious fountain of God. It quenches one's thirst for meaning. It refreshes one's zest for life. It fills one's soul with delight. It energizes one's zeal with joy. 


 
Like the loving father in the parable of the prodigal son, God waits for us to come seeking him for all things. He replaces our fanaticism for things into zeal for love. He makes us gracious receivers and grateful givers. He comforts us with a zeal that is constantly refreshed by the presence of God's Spirit. He humbles us with a zeal that acknowledges ones weaknesses. True zeal makes us turn back relentlessly to the Source of all comfort and purpose. In this state, becoming consumed for God emanates willingness, consistency and joy.

"for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." (Ps 69:9) 

The 19^th century 'prince of preachers,' Charles Spurgeon adds:
 

"Some men are eaten up with lechery, others with covetousness, and a third class with pride, but the master passion with our great leader was the glory of God, jealousy for his name, and love to the divine family." (Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David -Ps 69)

In reforming any form of misplaced zeal, the first step is to recognize two types of 'zeal for God.' The first type is motivated in God's name. The second type is done in the name of self. One of my favourite quotes is from James Hudson Taylor, OMF missionary to China whose expression of faith is captured in this wonderful statement: "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply."  If one works for the sake of self, doing God's work in man's way will always be found wanting.  How do we distinguish holy ambition from selfish motives?  Ps 69 gives us a clue that when we are working out God's will, we will enter the realm of spiritual warfare. We will be faced with all manner of evil against us. We will be accused and manhandled unfairly. Jesus calls folks like these as 'blessed.' True zeal will never be exhausted by opposition, but continually refreshed through a willing disposition toward God. True zeal is focused on God. Brother Lawrence teaches us that love is the motive of all things.

"That he had been governed by love, without selfish views; and that having resolved to make the love of God the end of all his actions, he had found reasons to be well satisfied with his method. That he was pleased when he could take up a straw from the ground for the love of God, seeking him only, and nothing else, not even his gifts."⁴

There is another way of reforming zeal regularly. This is our practice of the Sabbatical rest. The great reformer Martin Luther is well known for his 95 theses, his biblical commentary on the Old and New Testament as well as many polemical articles written against the papacy. Less well known however is his desire to love God leisurely. Philip Melanchthon, a good friend of Luther once shared his zeal with Luther saying:

"This day you and I will discuss the governance of the universe."

 

Instead of agreeing with his beloved buddy, Luther gave this surprise answer:


 

"This day you and I will go fishing and leave the governance of the universe to God."⁵

Truly, when we claim to fellow workers that we are ready to burn out for Christ, to give our all, let us all remind one another, that the ministry belongs firstly to God, secondly to God, and thirdly and always to God. Lest we boast upon our own achievements, and foolishly make our ministries into gods. Remind ourselves. Write it into our hearts that we live not to work but to worship God. The Sabbath is an opportunity to do just that.


 

"The Sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays; the weekdays are for the sake of Sabbath. It is not an interlude but the climax of living."⁶

The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Work well. Rest well. Above all, love well. When our zeal has been recovered and refreshed by the Spirit of God, we will feel less hesitation to say 'yes.' Neither will we feel guilty about saying 'no.' Life becomes bearable and enjoyable. No need to rush. No need to push. True zeal will allow one to slowly and surely enjoy a holy meal with fellow servants. May God raise up leaders with true zeal!


 
About the author

Conrade Yap is a graduate of Regent College [http://www.regent-college.edu/], and has worked in the information technology marketplace for more than 15 years. He has a keen interest in leadership development and in helping professionals find meaning and faith in the marketplace. He is currently a doctoral student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary [http://www.gcts.edu/]. He resides in Vancouver, B.C., Canada with his wife, Mary, and three young children. He can be reached at yapdates@aim.com and maintains an active blog at http://yapdates.blogspot.com


 
Endnotes:

1. Barbara Brown Taylor, Leaving Church: A memoir of faith (New York: Harper Collins, 2007).

2. John Stott, Your Mind Matters (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1972), p1.

3. Ralph Winter, Perfecting Ourselves to Death (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2005), p33.

4. Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God. ed. Owen Collins, "Complete Christian Classics Vol 1", (London: Harper Collins, 1999), p293.

5. David C. Egner, Let's Go Fishing in "Our Daily Bread" May 18^th, 1996. RBC press.

6. Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (Harper Collins Canada Ltd, 1951), p14.


 
Copyright © 2008 Conrade Yap

   

Latest online Spiritual Fad

Looking for Faith in all the wrong places - “GWYTK @ Facebook”
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 5 Feb 2010
[The problem with "God-Wants-You-To-Know" Facebook Application]

Some of my Facebook friends are joining the next hip faith-based application called: “God Wants You to Know” (GWYTK). On a daily basis, inspirational devotionals will be sent to friends who sign up for free at the popular social networking Facebook platform. The application promises to “bring you back to love, to strength, to happiness. And in times of great need, ask for a prayer, and be supported by the caring prayers of friends around the world you never knew you had. ” With more than 6000 friends, and astonishing 1.8 million 'active users' per month, the application has certainly scratched where many people are itching. As I ponder on this new popular platform, GWYTK, I want to express some of my reservations.

1) It sounds like a Christian horoscope
People everywhere needs hope and assurance. This application attempts to fill the gap. People are hurting. This application tries to supply spiritual reliefs like how the ubiquitous Panadol does for headaches and general pain. The words expressed in the inspirationals tend to be general enough to reach a wide audience, and specific enough toward saying nice things and nice words people want to hear. Take the January 9th posting, which says: “God wants you to be you.”

I remember a couple of years ago, I read the story of a newspaper publication which ran out of horoscope contributions. Knowing that there is a sizeable following among readers for the horoscope predictions, the publishers decided to recycle some of the older horoscopes. No one really notice the difference. What a sham! What the newspaper did is essentially putting old stuff and calling it new for the day. Not only is it unethical, it makes a mockery of the readers concerned. GWYTK smells like that.


2) Hit-and-Miss
Sometimes, the application hits a raw nerve and triggers lots of appreciation and gratitude. Other times, one can simply read past the words without much feeling. Thus, it is sometimes hitting the mark, and other times missing it. If it is really from God, would not it be something that has more hits? Since God is perfect, would it not be reasonable enough to expect a 100% hit?

3) Claiming to be God?
This is perhaps the most troubling of all. Is the creator of the GWYTK God? What credentials do they have? It is one thing to believe in God. It is yet another to 'claim' to be God. This is often the root of ugly crusades and holy war. People who abuses the name of God and launch a worldly conquest often result in fatalities and damages far worse than expected. For the application to gain some credibility, change the name! Remember the words of Isaiah.

"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. “ (Isa 42:8)

This can be scary. The road to idolatry is often paved with good intentions. I pray that believers will remember not to use the name of the LORD in vain. When the creators of GWYTK continue to register hits after hits, are they using God's name in vain, so that they can rise in popularity among people in the world?

4) Do 3D Devotionals

Each of us ought to do our own devotionals as much as possible. Sometimes we need help, but any external help should supplement, not substitute our daily feeding. Why should we deprive ourselves from eating solid food on our own, and consume processed food instead? Certainly, the Holy Spirit can work in any way. The best way is to adopt at least a 3-dimensional devotional, below.

First and foremost, personal devotions. Call it Quiet Time, or personal closet prayer. Whatever it is, read the Word of God personally. Make it a habit to make it regular, as frequently as possible.

Secondly, do devotions together in a community of faith. It can be a Bible study group, a prayer breakfast or any gathering. You will be surprised at how the Holy Spirit speaks insights into various hearts to form in our understanding a fuller and more wholesome image of the truth in God's Word.

Finally, devotional supplements. It could be the popular Our Daily Bread, recorded sermons online, books, or even online devotionals. This third way must never become the primary way. The fundamental devotional ways must always be personal and community.

Do our devotionals. Make it as wholesome as possible, with personal combined with community, supplemented by peripheral materials available both online and offline. For those of us who know people caught up with spiritual 'horoscope' like devotionals, remind them to read the Word of God for themselves first, and not depend on sudden moments of inspirations that are sadly too one-sided, without much reality check.

conrade