Elite Athletes Encounter GodSample

The renewing of your mind

Lyndon Rush (Canada)
Olympic Bronze Medalist & 2x World Championship Silver Medalist in Bobsleigh

As Rush was training for the Olympic Games at the team facility in Calgary, the onsite chaplain, a man named Steve Sellers, talked to the bobsled driver about another kind of preparation that had nothing to do with his body or his mind, but rather something that would strengthen Rush’s spirit. Rush wasn’t a stranger to biblical principles. He even remembers the day that he accepted Christ into his heart at the age of six. With his spiritual foundation solid as ever, Rush went to the 2010 Winter Olympics ready for anything. But there was no way he could know just how intensely his preparation would be tested.

Rush was one of the favorites to win gold in the two-man race. After the first heat they were sitting in third place, but just a few tenths of a second out of the top spot. The chances to win a gold medal were still high. That’s when the unexpected happened. During the second heat, the Canadian duo crashed and Rush’s medal hopes slid out of his reach. “I was really devastated,” Rush recalls. “I was really mad. I remember laying in the sled when it was still upside down and had finally come to a stop. But then my spiritual training kicked in and I said to myself, ‘What do you have to be thankful for right now?’ And immediately I thought about one of my teammates Chris Le Bihan who races with me in the four-man. His wife had a baby that same day. And I thought, ‘Thank you God for that healthy little boy.’”

Rush continued with that line of thinking as he slowly made his way to the finish line where the media awaited. Instead of saying “some stupid things,” he was able to handle himself in a way that glorified God. Through his disappointing circumstance, Rush saw firsthand the fruits of his spiritual preparation and was able to put into motion what he had learned through Bible devotion and prayer.

“Happiness is about what’s happening and sometimes you’re not happy,” Rush says. “But joy is a choice. You can develop joy. And the trick to developing joy is to think about what you have to be thankful for. No matter how bad things are, you can always think of something to be thankful for.” This noble, inner attitude was the fruit of his spiritual training. That was the message Rush took with him to his four-man team as they prepared for their shot at Olympic glory.

As they met to discuss the upcoming competition, he asked each teammate to share something for which they were thankful. The focus became less about winning and more about enjoying the moment. Rush’s team was not considered a favorite to medal but managed to turn some heads early on with runs that placed the Canadian crew in contention for second place. Not wanting to lose his laidback, stress-free attitude, Rush began quoting Philippians 4:6-7 over and over again in his mind.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.” “As I said that over and over, the peace of God started to guard my heart and it took the weight off,” Rush says. “My request was that I do my best and that my guys would be safe. I knew He would do that for me.” With that prayerful attitude in his heart, Rush led his team to a bronze medal performance and missed winning the silver medal by just one-hundredth of a second! Days earlier, his spiritual fitness allowed him to glorify God in defeat. But on this day, Rush was able to give God the glory in an unexpected victory. 

Action Step

God also wants to encounter YOU. Invite the Holy Spirit to read the bible passage with you and expect that he will speak to you. Trust that God will show you the steps you should take in your own life. Ask Him for strength and courage to follow his voice.