- Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Athletic prowess, sportsmanship and memorable moments of competitiveness was largely eclipsed at this year’s Olympic Games by a bizarre gender battle and a drag queen-driven opening ceremony widely seen as mocking the Last Supper.

The peculiar debate between the International Olympic Committee and the International Boxing Association over the genders of two boxers dominated international headlines, with officials associated with the latter group — which the IOC dropped as its boxing authority last year — asserting that these fighters failed a gender test and shouldn’t be competing against women.

Some Christians were so disgusted by the gender row and opening ceremony that they boycotted the Olympics. But while there have been several distractions eroding the main purposes of the Games, there was a bright light amid the darkness. 

Many athletes competing in the Olympics this year offered powerful performances in their sports, while sharing their extraordinary faith and devotion to God.

First, there’s Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic, an Orthodox Christian who took home a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. After winning his match, the Olympian repeatedly made the sign of the cross and pointed his hands to the sky, sending a powerful message to observers. 

Mr. Djokovic also recently took time to reflect on his path into athletics, something he said once seemed like an impossibility yet is now a stunning reality. 

“I thank God for giving me his mercy, for giving me this blessing and this opportunity,” he said. “Because at that time, it was almost impossible to achieve all these things. But nothing is impossible when you have faith, power and belief in yourself.”

In an interview after his victory at this year’s Olympics, Mr. Djokovic kissed his Christian cross necklace, too, again drawing attention to his faith.

This is hardly the first competition or moment in which Mr. Djokovic has highlighted the importance of his faith. Years ago, while receiving an award for his devotion to the Serbian Orthodox Church, he made it clear where his priorities fall. 

“This is the most important title of my life, because, before being an athlete, I am an Orthodox Christian,” he said.

Other Olympians also put their faith and devotion center stage. 

Next, there’s swimmer Hunter Armstrong, a gold medalist who recently told Baptist Press that his love for God is the “first thing” he wants people to know about him. 

“I keep God as a priority,” he said. “I can’t really live without him. I can live without swimming or being an Olympian or any of that stuff.”

In an Olympic world in which winning can sometimes trump all else, Mr. Armstrong offered an important message — that faith is a bigger, more pertinent priority. This message is important for any person struggling to balance success with more eternal priorities. 

“Obviously, I want to have a great performance for myself, my country and my teammates,” the athlete said. “But if I walk away and I don’t have a single medal or a single best time, I can still walk away knowing that I represented myself well — and God.”

And it doesn’t end there. South African swimmer Tatjana Smith got out of the pool after her own victory in the 100-meter breaststroke and immediately dressed in a T-shirt with text giving glory to “God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.” 

Ms. Smith, known for her passionate Christian faith, also posted to social media many weeks before the Olympics, noting she was “very excited to swim for the glory of God and to represent her country while doing so.”

Even the official Olympics website stated that Ms. Smith is “swimming for a higher purpose,” offering a quote from the champion that sheds light on her true goals and motivation for competing. 

“I swim because I love it. I also swim for a bigger purpose which is to use my talents to glorify God through my swimming,” she said on the Olympics website. “The world has [defined] success as medals and records where success is different in my mind. And I think that is why I’m very easy to go back and never be hard on myself in terms of that.”

Finally, U.S. track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone deserves some attention. She competed in this year’s Olympics and is known for frequently sharing her faith on social media. This summer, she told The Associated Press about where she places her real value. 

“For a long time, my identity was in track and field,” she said. “But I realized that first and foremost, I’m a child of God. It set me free to run the race God has set out for me to run.”

This has been a consistent message for the athlete. In 2021, when Ms. McLaughlin-Levrone set a world record in the women’s 400-meter hurdles during Olympic trials, she didn’t focus on her own abilities. She said it was all due to God.

“I no longer run for self recognition, but to reflect His perfect will that is already set in stone,” she wrote on Instagram. “I don’t deserve anything. But by grace, through faith, Jesus has given me everything. Records come and go. The glory of God is eternal. Thank you Father.”

There certainly was a lot of darkness suppressing this year’s Olympic games, but these stars — and many others — shined a light bright enough to break through and remind us all of the goodness, godliness and priorities we should all hold dear.

Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” He is the author of four books.

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