February 5, 2014

In just two days the Winter Olympics will start in Sochi, Russia and the world's eyes will turn to the finest winter athletes on the planet.  Television sets will be tuned in to catch many of the 15 different events.  Thanks to 24-hour television channels, we can even watch the curling matches.

As I pondered the various events it occurred to me the most watched events, at least in America, were the ones with speed and flash.  Ski jumping, figure skating, snowboarding, etc.  I imagine the viewership drops way off for cross country skiing and biathlon.  These events require the same level of skill and training, but are lengthy, endurance events.  Not the blaze of speed down a hill or the flash of a triple Salchow.

The Christian life is more like cross country skiing than freestyle skiing.  Prayer, meditation, Bible study would not make for good television.  Kind words at work, a sympathetic ear for a neighbor, exhorting your spouse are not the stuff of Nielson ratings.  Much of the Christian life is about self-discipline, endurance, and day-in-day-out consistency.

But perhaps it is in this day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year consistency we reflect one of our Father's most important attributes.

He is the "same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
He "is faithful in all He does." Psalm 33:4-5 (NIV)
“For I the Lord do not change."  Malachi 3:6 (NIV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (NIV)

God may choose to provide our Christian lives with some Ollies, Nollies, and Shifties, but it is through the daily consistency of spiritual disciplines where we will experience the most growth and strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father.