Plan de Devocionales Olímpicos: Lucha y TriunfoMuestra

"La verdad te hará libre"

Diver Brittany Viola’s life took an unexpected turn when she sought treatment for an eating disorder. Halfway through her treatment program, a woman there asked her if she wanted to be free from her disorder and then asked if she had invited God into her life. “I prayed and received Christ right there,” Brittany says. “I remember being really excited afterward and not knowing why.”

But Brittany’s struggles didn’t end there. After she returned home and started college she says, “Life got more difficult as I made that transition into balancing the student-athlete lifestyle.”

One of her teammates invited her to church, and she finally went after refusing about 15 times. Then another friend started reading the Bible with her. Attending a Bible study helped Brittany to grow in her faith. “I started learning that there was so much more to this relationship with God than I could imagine.”

“Over the years the struggle with my eating began to lessen. Having the truth of God with me helped me press forward. It was His truth that replaced the lies that overtook me.”

As Brittany devoted herself to knowing God and studying His Word, she gained His perspective on her life and found freedom from her eating disorder.

“My eating disorder was the first area where the Lord worked in my life; then He started becoming involved in every part. Diving was one of the most difficult areas for me to realize that God could express His power. As I have pressed into Him, I’ve realized my diving is His gift, and I have all these opportunities because of Him.”

Questions: In what area(s) of your life would you like to experience freedom in Christ? As you continue reading and studying God’s Word, what lies are you exchanging with His truth?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, You described Yourself as the Truth. Expose lies I am believing about You or about myself so that I can experience the freedom of Your truth.

Kenyan Wilson Kipsang, one of the fastest long-distance runners in the world, won an Olympic bronze medal and has been a world record holder in the marathon. He raced to victory in cities like London, Berlin, Frankfurt, and New York City.

Modeling what it means to live one’s life fully devoted to Jesus Christ is Wilson’s primary purpose. He wants his athletic success to be a platform for helping other runners, his fans and his Kenyan countrymen. He runs that others might catch a glimpse of Him.

Winning races is not his first goal or prime passion. While he receives joy and energy from God when he runs, finishing first is not his purpose.

Wilson is singularly devoted to Jesus. Drifting from his first love, Jesus, is what he fears the most. He does not want to wake up one day to find that he has settled for things of personal glory and fading value.

Doing the right thing is trusting God and gripping His Word, no matter what others may say or do. “If (I) have faith, then I am not alone. The Holy Spirit is there. God is with me to advise me, to take care of me,” Wilson says. “I will always know that I am doing the right thing, and I will always try to listen to the voice of God.”

Question: When you wake up tomorrow morning, will you do the right thing by committing yourself to keeping Christ Lord and intentionally walking with Him throughout your day? Make it a priority to spend time in your Bible, meeting in private with Christ. Will you read His Word, meditate on it, and then ask Him for wisdom as to how you are to apply it each day? Or will you launch into your day striving to attain things of lesser value?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I humbly ask You to burn into my easily distracted heart a committed love and thirst for You and Your Holy Word, the Bible. Give me the courage and resolve to hourly surrender all of my life to You for Your purposes and Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.Prayer: Heavenly Father, I humbly ask You to burn into my easily distracted heart a committed love and thirst for You and Your Holy Word, the Bible. Give me the courage and resolve to hourly surrender all of my life to You for Your purposes and Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

La vida de la saltadora de trampolín Brittany Viola dio un giro inesperado cuando buscó tratamiento para un trastorno alimenticio. A mitad de su tratamiento, una mujer le preguntó si quería ser libre de su trastorno y luego le preguntó si había invitado a Dios a su vida. "Oré y recibí a Cristo allí mismo," dice Brittany. "Recuerdo que estaba muy emocionada después y no sabía por qué."

Pero las luchas de Brittany no terminaron ahí. Después de regresar a su casa y comenzar la universidad, dice : "La vida se hizo más difícil, ya que hice esa transición compensando la vida del estudiante - atleta."

Una de sus compañeras de equipo la invitó a la iglesia, y finalmente fue tras negarse cerca de 15 veces. Después, otro amigo comenzó a leer la Biblia con ella. Asistir a un estudio Bíblico ayudó a Brittany para crecer en su fe. "Empecé aprendiendo que había mucho más en esta relación con Dios de lo que podía imaginar."

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""A lo largo de los años, la lucha con mi forma de comer empezó a disminuir. Tener conmigo la verdad de Dios me ayudó a seguir hacia delante. Fue su verdad la que sustituyó a las mentiras que me sobrepasaron.”

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Mientras Brittany se dedicó a conocer a Dios y estudiar su Palabra, ella obtuvo Su perspectiva sobre su vida y encontró la libertad de su trastorno alimenticio.

"Mi transtorno alimenticio fue la primera area en la que el Señor trabajó; después empezó a trabajar en las demás. El salto era una de las áreas en las que más me costaba darme cuenta que Dios podía expresar su poder. Como he continuado en Él, me he dado cuenta que mi salto es Su don, y tengo todas estas oportunidades gracias a Él"

Preguntas: ¿En qué área de tu vida te gustaría experimentar la libertad en Cristo? A medida que continúes leyendo y estudiando la Palabra de Dios, ¿qué mentiras estás intercambiando con Su verdad?

Oración: Amado Jesús, Tu Te describiste como la Verdad. Expón las mentiras que estoy creyendo acerca de Ti o de mí mismo para que pueda experimentar la libertad de Tu verdad.