Discovering Joy

For the vast majority of athletes who compete in winter sports, the Olympics are the pinnacle of their athletic endeavors.

In the eyes of much of the public, what an athlete has accomplished before the Olympics is largely irrelevant. Legacies are often defined solely by what happens on the biggest stage.

With that perspective, it's no wonder the pressure athletes face when entering Olympic competition is often palpable, even to viewers halfway around the world. 

Those observations are exactly what make American figure skater Alysa Liu’s performance on Thursday even more impressive. 

On her way to winning America's first gold medal in individual female figure skating in 24 years, Liu's demeanor was the exact opposite of what we have become accustomed to. Rather than exhibiting stress or anxiety under pressure, Liu skated with joy, wearing a seemingly genuine smile throughout her routine. 

But what exactly led her to be able to skate in her sport’s competition with so much joy and a carefree spirit?

“I don’t need this,” Liu said, speaking of her gold medal. “So I was all good no matter what.” 

In Liu's interviews, she has repeatedly expressed her realization that winning medals is really not all that important in the grand scheme of things. 

In an article titled Alysa Liu Radiates Joy As Olympic Champion, Michael Rosenberg of Sports Illustrated writes, “Most Olympians place outsized importance on medals, and then later—sometimes, years later—they realize that medals are really just hard-earned souvenirs. Medals are impressive achievements. They don’t sustain a life.”

Unfortunately, this pattern extends well beyond Olympic athletes. 

It's a common human experience to spend exorbitant amounts of time, energy, money, and focus seeking after temporal possessions or achievements, only to discover that those things won't sustain one's life in the long run.

As followers of Jesus, we must acknowledge that we, too, can be prone to giving in to the temptation to stress out and place undue importance on things that will not truly satisfy us or bring us lasting fulfillment.  

In a rebuke to the nation of Israel for its idolatry, God says in Jeremiah 2:13 (NLT), “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”

Rather than looking to God alone as their source of satisfaction and fulfillment, the people of Israel turned to created things. Ultimately, God compares those pursuits to broken containers that cannot hold water. In other words, they will never satisfy.

The reality of life is that earthly things we experience will not last forever.

The beautiful will inevitably succumb to old age. The strong will one day be unable to lift heavy loads. The smart will one day no longer be able to think quickly or acutely. The athlete at the top of their sport eventually retires because they're no longer competitive. The wealthiest among us take no money with them when they die. 

Considering these realities shouldn't lead us to a fatalistic view of the world. It would be wrong for us to think that nothing that we do in this world matters. Rather, these realities should drive us to a sober view of our lives and to a desire to focus our attention on the things that matter in eternity.

Let's remember the command of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV): “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

So, how might this affect our lives practically?

Well, it doesn’t mean that we can no longer have any goals or aspirations as we walk on earth. But it does mean that we should shape our desires and aspirations by a heavenly perspective that focuses primarily on glorifying God in all we do. 

When we are more concerned about being faithful to glorify God than about earthly results, it frees us to live with great joy. Pressure and anxiety begin to fade as we recognize that the things we often chase are not as important as we think, freeing us to live "in the moment," give our best to God, and leave the outcome to Him. 

We can confidently say, “So I’m all good no matter what.” 

Today, let's aim to demonstrate our joy to those around us, not by trying to manufacture it on our own, but by recognizing that as we work heartily as unto the Lord, God is pleased with our efforts.

Even more importantly, let's be filled with joy as we think about the promise of eternity secured by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf. 

Although circumstances might prevent us from accomplishing the things for which we long in this life, let’s remember that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39; NASB).

Let that truth also lead us to live with great joy!

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Your Son to guarantee my future with You in eternity. Please help me to live with my mind focused on eternal things, and to focus each moment on being faithful to glorify You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.