Meals are an important event at my house. Not just because we love food, but because we love being together. There is a special feeling about joining hands around the dinner table, giving thanks, and sharing stories about the day while partaking in a wonderful meal Melissa’s prepared. “How was work today?” the kids will say, or I’ll ask them, “What’d you learn in school?” It’s how I was raised. It’s how I want my children to grow up.

We make a special effort, too, to try and shut the world out during this time. The telephone goes unanswered. That was hard for me at first, but the more telemarketers interrupted our dinner, the easier it became. With the exception of movie nights on Fridays, the television is turned off. Unless, of course, the Olympics are on.

The Olympics have always fascinated me. I suppose it’s because they only come around every other year. But watching the games has become a family event for us. David thinks all Americans are from Texas. Morgan keeps track of who has fallen down on the ice. Melissa enjoys the speed skating. I check in to see what Bob Costas’ hair is doing that particular day.

It occurs to me that the Olympics are a lot like life. We are involved in an intense struggle, a daily battle against a common enemy. We have to persevere and keep fighting until the end, looking to the prize that awaits us at the finish line. The games help me to keep in mind these principles in my own contest of life.

You can’t just go your own way. Each Olympic competition has a set of rules. Every now and then, when they display the standings, they’ll be an athlete at the bottom of the list with the dreaded letters “DSQ” by their name. Disqualified. What happened? They didn’t follow the rules.

Paul reminded Timothy, “if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5). Things like discipline and instruction teach us about the need for submission to a higher authority. The Bible governs us along the road of life. It tells us the only way to win, the only way to God. There is no other.

Setbacks are common along the course. As much as I want my country to win, it breaks my heart to see a competitor of the U.S. fall down. They have trained so hard and often worked through injuries to reach that ultimate stage only to stumble once they got there. In other sports, players and teams can redeem themselves the next day or the next week. In the Olympics, you have to wait another four years.

But life deals us our share of disappointments. Everything is not going to fall into place the way we have it planned in our minds. There will be upsets, mishaps, stumbles and fumbles in this game. Peter wrote, “beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you...as though some strange thing were happening to you” (1 Pet. 4:12). Rather, realize that these setbacks are opportunities to grow your faith and strengthen your character. And they are reminders that we live in an imperfect world that is not our final destination.

It’s important to be proud of where you come from. Of all the events, my favorite part of watching the Olympics is the medal ceremony. As the flag is raised and the national anthem crescendos, the camera usually zooms in on the face of the gold medalist, the nation’s proudest citizen at that moment. It makes me glad to be an American.

But remember, “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:20-21). Do people know where you call home? Can they tell by your speech and by your conduct that you’re not from around here? If not, you can’t help them find the way to eternal life, the home of the soul.

Our crown awaits in heaven. Let’s keep reaching forward until we finish the course.

—Bubba Garner