Olympic Competition and Manhood and Womanhood, Part 1: Olympian Leadership Opportunities for Dads

My family and I have always loved the Olympics.  We applaud the competition, marvel at the unbelievable sacrifices being made by athletes, cheer when someone achieves something never before achieved, and enjoy the numerous background stories that are shared in between competitions. 

But I plan to be even more purposeful this year as I anticipate my entire family gathered around the television.  As a dad, it is my responsibility to serve my family as I lead and hope to use this international event to create opportunities for discussions about some very important topics.  Here are some things I plan to highlight:

1. Appreciating self-discipline
In order to compete in the Olympics, one must commit to years of training.  Often these athletes will begin as early as 7 or 8 years old, forgoing many things that most people take for granted as part of a normal childhood.  I want my family to acknowledge the hard work required to excel at the highest levels of sport and then be reminded that we are to pursue Christ with that same diligence, self sacrifice and commitment.

2. Adhering to specific sets of rules
Each competition has parameters that everyone knows in advance.  These athletes have been training based on these rules and if the rules are broken, disqualification occurs.  Since "an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules" (1 Tim. 2:5) we can point our families to the Gospel even when someone takes an illegal substance, bends the rules or somehow performs outside of the parameters.

3. Cultivating a love for the nations
When on a recent mission trip to Mexico with my family, I reminded them that we were not on the trip to see how other people lived, or to be more grateful for the nice things we have in the U.S.  We were there to cultivate a love for the nations- every tribe, every tongue.  Get out the globe and as you are watching competitors from all over the world take a minute to find their country.  With a little effort you could find some statistics on the spread of the gospel there and pray for the people in that place. This link provides helpful information for a start.

4. Remembering the persecuted church
Throughout the entire televised event, I will regularly remind my family that in spite of the appearance of economic prosperity and glitz and glamour portrayed by the Chinese government, according to the Rutherford Institute there are 50 to 100 million members of the house church movement that are coming under increasing pressure as the Olympics approaches.  I do not want them to lose sight of the fact that in so many places around the world, believers are entering into the sufferings of Christ for the sake of the Gospel. This link provides more information on the persecuted church.

Over the next week, Gender Blog will be addressing various subjects that will continue to equip you to think biblically about gender issues associated with the Olympics.  We hope to highlight the goodness of God's design of manhood and womanhood on display in this quadrennial competition.  Let us know what you think.