Unpack This...for Olympic Fans Sample

Beneath The Surface

When playing on my college water polo intramural team, I discovered the sport’s intensity and how exhausting it is. So knowing the very best players of this impressive sport will be in the pool at the Summer Olympics, I can’t wait to watch them shoot, pass, catch, and defend – all while swimming and treading water. 

Their physicality and athleticism are truly remarkable and I’m just talking about the aspects we can see. The craziness really happens beneath the surface. 

Guys try to stay afloat while kicking rapidly and attempting to score a goal with the defenders grabbing, shoving, and almost tackling them. So much of the strategy, and what players try to hide, take place below the surface.

When a goal is scored, we can see the beauty of the passing and the shot, but it’s hard to understand what goes on underneath the water.

Similarly, a lot goes on in people’s lives that everyone sees, but there’s also pain, struggle, and sin that are being hidden below the surface.

We want the outside world to see us a certain way and we do our best to appear that everything's fine. We judge people based on what we see, but very rarely do we go deep enough to actually know what’s occurring in their lives.

When we put more of an emphasis on someone’s outward appearance, instead of the condition of their heart, we miss out on what is really happening with them.

1 Samuel 16:7:

 “…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

As followers of Jesus, we should be concerned about our own hearts, as well as, the hearts of others. By trying to go deeper, we can begin to recognize the truth.

When watching water polo during the Olympics, let’s keep in mind this challenging game consists of much more than meets the eye. The same goes for people. Let’s make an effort to discover what really lies beneath the surface. 

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for focusing too much on the appearance of others and myself, and help me to remember how much goes on below the surface. Please give me the strength to genuinely share what’s going on with me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

For more sports and faith devotionals, visit unpackinit.com.