An Athlete's Crown

The 2020 Summer Olympic Games (held in 2021) began on July 23, 2021 at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.  

As millions around the world cheer on their favorite athletes, enjoy their favorite events, and track their nation’s medal count, our families have an opportunity to reflect on the many sports and race metaphors in the Bible. 

The following Family Devotion is offered as a Gospel Family resource for you to use in your Family Worship, leading those in your household to run the Christian race well as you pass the baton of faith to the next generation (Psalm 78:4-7).   

An Athlete’s Crown—2 Timothy 2:1-7 

Family Time in the Word: Read 2 Timothy 2:1-7 Together

Family Teaching:

This is Paul’s second letter to Timothy. Paul had written to Timothy, brought Timothy with him on missionary journeys, discipled Timothy, mentored him, modeled the Christian life in front of him, and taught him the Gospel. Now, Paul is calling Timothy to pass the baton. 

Paul longs to see the Gospel message reproduced (v. 2). It is to be multiplied from one generation to the next. Just as an Olympic runner passes the baton to the next runner who then passes it to yet another runner who then passes the baton to the anchor runner, Timothy is to pass the Gospel to faithful men who will then pass it along to others. 

The Gospel message is to be entrusted and taught to the coming generation. This multiplying, reproducing ministry thrives in Family Worship. 

In the remaining verses of this passage, Paul uses three different illustrations in his instructions to Timothy: a soldier (v. 3-4), an athlete (v. 5), and a farmer (v. 6). For this Family Devotion, we will focus on the second illustration—the athlete (v. 5): 

“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

In the 2008 Olympics, USA sprinter, Wallace Spearman, thought he had won the bronze medal for the 200-meter. A few minutes after the race, however, he learned he had been disqualified. You see, during the race, for just a moment, Spearman stepped over the line, outside his lane.

Verse 5 is a reminder for us that as we run the Christian race, we must not swerve outside of the Gospel lane. We must not step over the line, swerving away from the Words and commands of God. Verse 5 is a call to obedience. We do not obey God in order to earn our salvation or in order to keep our salvation, for we cannot earn our salvation and we cannot lose our salvation. 

We obey for God’s glory and in order to please Him (see verse 4).

Our obedience pleases the Lord and blesses us (see Luke 11:28). 

It seems that Paul has this blessing, this reward, in mind in 2 Timothy 2:5, as he refers to the athlete that is “crowned.” 

Champion athletes in Paul’s day would receive a crown, a wreath, made from the branch of an olive tree. Today, Olympic champions receive a gold medal, and yet, these gold medals will one day rust and deteriorate. 

For the Christian, however, our rewards are spiritual and eternal. They will never rust, they will never fade, they will never disappoint. Our rewards will last forever. 

What a blessing!  (see 2 Timothy 4:8) 

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave an illustration of the blessing that comes with obeying His Word and the destruction that follows disobedience: 

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27). 

Jesus paints a clear picture of the difference between a life founded upon obedience to God’s Word and one that is founded upon disobedience to God’s Word. It is the difference between one who is wise and one who is foolish; between one who stands firm and one who falls and is destroyed. 

In Matthew 7, the same storm comes upon both houses. If the Word of God is not the foundation of our lives and homes, then the storms will bring destruction. 

But when the Word of God is the foundation of our hearts and homes, the storms will still come, but our house will stand. 

Our foundation must be something that is consistent, firm, unchanging, and true—our foundation must be God’s Word. To set His Word as the foundation of our lives is to hear His Word and Obey.

This is the athlete that competes according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5).  

Family Discussion: 

What are some of the commandments we read in the Bible? When have you ever disobeyed God? What do we call the disobedience (sin)? What should we do when we disobey? What helps us stay in the “Gospel Lane”—what helps us obey God? What are some of the blessings we enjoy when we obey? What are some of the eternal rewards that God promises us? 

FAMILY PRAYER:

Close this time of Family Worship in prayer together by asking each family member to share a prayer request they have or a praise that they would like to share. You can either take turns praying or have one person pray for what was shared.