Journey to the OlympicsSample

You Are Not Alone

Devotional:

Have you ever climbed a mountain or even a foothill? At the bottom, it is easy to charge forward with the top in sight. But as the trail progresses, it is all too easy to lose sight of the top. Your breathing gets hard, legs get tired — it is a challenging task. The Christian life is often compared to a mountain climb. A bold walk and commitment for Christ is often a weighty task that can sometimes feel like an uphill climb. The key is to keep the end in sight. Lilly Lippeatt, a young Olympic gymnast shares about how she depends on God through the hard days.

In a sport like gymnastics, athletes need endurance, stamina, and strength. At a young age, Lilly has entered a global stage with her incredible gymnastic abilities. Yet she is quick to share how she has had to depend on the Lord daily for strength. He helps her overcome anxiety, fears, and the hard things of life. Jesus offers help as recorded in the gospel of Matthew. It is an invitation of help to the weary and burdened travelers through this life. He invites us to come to Him and trade our heavy weights for His gentle guidance to walk step by step. We are not meant to climb our mountains alone. For Lilly, this meant seeking out help from others for feelings of anxiety and insecurity. This helped give her, even from a young age, the strength she needed to climb to great heights. God is inviting you into a type of relationship where you can depend on Him. He will never leave your side as you continue towards the heavenward goal to which Christ calls you.

Live It Out:

• Apply: How can you depend on God in the circumstances you are facing today?
• Pray: Pray that these athletes would continue to seek and depend on the Lord in all that they do and in every circumstance that they face.