When you think about it most of the world’s elite athletes do not find themselves on the Olympic podium. I'm sure they're not delusional; they would be aware from all the competitions leading up to the Olympics that they are unlikely to be on the podium. So what keeps them going if they know they’ll probably finish somewhere between say, 18th and 32nd? In contrast to our media’s recent coverage of the Olympics, surely an athlete’s labour isn’t all about the medals?
The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes has much to say about human effort and endeavour. We get to go inside the head and experiences of a very ambitious entrepreneur who put his hand to just about everything with enormous success. He summed up what could be gained from human effort in these words:
“Man can do no better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work” (Eccles 2:24)
So for the elite athlete, you have to enjoy your sport, be content with your daily training and competing; that is your ‘work’.
Surprisingly, when athletes who have won Olympic gold are asked, ‘Was it all that it was cracked up to be?’ The answer is often, ‘No’.
The writer of Ecclesiastes new this experience all too well. You arrive at your ultimate goal only to discover that it is like vapour or mist. There will always be someone to overturn what you achieved. People will forget your achievements even during your own life. What you thought was so important as you finally arrive at the summit looks kind of silly and out of perspective.
But the pursuit of gold medals could be applied to any field or pursuit not just sport. Whether we are starting a new company, planting a new church or raising a family, we should not just look to the endpoint. The endpoint might take a while to reach, but its dazzle evaporates almost as soon as you grasp it. Instead we need to find contentment and satisfaction in the daily grind.
If we focus only on winning gold or being successful in our goals then we are likely to overlook the only real reward our physical labour could bring us. As the teacher of Ecclesiastes says, “My heart took delight in all my work and this was my reward for all my labour” (Ecclesiastes 2:10). Ambition is good as it drives us towards higher goals; we just need to remember that reaching our goals will not provide satisfaction or the level of reward that we were hoping. The reward is in the enjoyment of doing. I think Richard Branson has learnt this, finding enjoyment in playing the consumer champion in any field he can get his teeth into. It’s not about the money or the ego trip of having endless Virgin companies. I think he thrives on the enjoyment of ‘cracking’ another service industry in favour of the consumer. He enjoys his sport and that is his reward or ‘gain’. His enjoyment of his labour has also brought him enormous wealth and fame, but they are by-products.
We've come to expect big things from our swimming team at the Olympics. At the recent London Olympics, it seems success is only rated in terms of the medal and in particular a gold medal. The recent pool commentary on Australia’s swimmer's so called ‘under performance was a sad reflection of this and served to be-little our athletes and all their toil under the sun for the past four years. The media’s stance failed to resonate with the public because of its shallowness…there has to be more to an athlete than a gold medal, right?
We need to make our peace with the moment and be glad for our lot. We need to eat, drink and find enjoyment in the endless nappies, the half built project, and the struggling church plant. Moreover, changing the nappies might be the only time we have.
It’s not a resignation to mediocrity. Ranked anywhere in the Olympics is no mediocre effort. Staying in the moment of your child’s, oh so tiring, dependence on you means you have paused to pick up your pay cheque. Life might get less tiring as they get older, but a better reward will not be forthcoming.
The teacher of Ecclesiastes knew death would mock all his efforts and toil, but he was able to find enjoyment and contentment in what he did. More importantly he was able to know the source of that enjoyment and contentment:
“Man can do no better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too I see is from the hand of God, for without him who can eat or find enjoyment” (Eccles 2:24-25).
He cared about what God thought of all that he did. He relied on God to walk wisely in the world and make the most of this short life. ‘The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in darkness’ (Eccles 2:14). In other words, he was godly.
Taking its cue from the Teacher of Ecclesiastes, the New Testament says,
“Train yourself to be godly, for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
Physical training, being an Olympic athlete and indeed any human endeavor can bring a reward in this life…enjoyment of your sport, enjoyment of your work or your family. But godliness has reward both now and beyond this life. That’s a worthy investment. Imagine applying yourself to something that has ‘gain’ now and forever? That’s good news. That outshines the gold, puts all our efforts in perspective and is definitely worth the effort.
