"I jump into a sand pit for a living"
Completion of the task
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus . Philippians 1: 3-6I feel called to pray for sportspeople. As part of this I often think about how Paul prays for people. Paul’s prayers are always full of content – not just “God bless John”.
I want to take one thought from the verses above – Paul’s confidence that God will complete what he has started in your life. Sports people understand that achievement is often a long process. I have heard Jonathan Edwards say that he started triple-jumping as a teenager but it was not until he was 34 that he won Olympic gold.
This week’s email was inspired by the following tweet by the American runner, Sanya Richards-Ross, “Like Joseph, who had a dream for his life...We learn it won't happen overnight, there will be pits, but God will finish what He starts in you!” Joseph is a great example of this. When he was stuck, frightened, hungry and thirsty in a pit, being ruler of Egypt seemed a ridiculous idea. But God, who began the good work, brought it to completion.
Be patient and trust in God and he will bring you though injuries, disappointments and failures to the place he wants you to be. That includes fulfilling your God-given sporting potential and developing a relationship with Him that will last through death and forever.