August 23, 2021 - Quickly From Mountain Tops To Valleys

In the past I have written about athletes’ testimonies of how they felt jubilation upon winning, only to followed at quickly by depression… wondering about if the medals/trophies are all there is??? 

Recently there has been much talk of the mental state of athletes, with many admitting to their mental health struggles. We have seen Olympic champions bowing out of competition… tennis champions withdrawing from tournaments… etc.

Michael Phelps has won a record 23 gold medals in the Olympics, yet has shared that following the 2012 Olympics he became very depressed… to the point of being suicidal.

These are examples of athletes that have risen to the top… only to find themselves unfulfilled. They are not alone… they are facing questions that have plagued mankind… question of the meaning and purpose of life. Think about it, these athletes have literally had to give their lives to arrive at the podium… only to either retire or get back to the grind.

Solomon had similar observations about life. In fact, he stated in Ecclesiastes 2:22-23: For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This is also vanity.

In the passage Solomon was realizing that in an of itself, all the hard work and accomplishments of his life would eventually be left to someone who had not put in the work… it seemed very hollow… to be “vanity.” (And that word has the idea of being worthless or futile… and the idea of being a vapor…)

For time’s sake let me get to his conclusions… 24 Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor.

He is saying that if a man is going to work hard, then he should enjoy the fruits of his labor… I believe he is talking about a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment… Yet, he gives another piece to this observation, that it is only truly lasting and meaningful when there is recognition of the source…

24b This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon (the wisest man to live) concludes over and over again that life only has meaning when our focus/motivation is God! Here is a Players’ Prayer I penned years ago:

Lord, as I lace them up today, I pray that you will be honored through my attitude and actions. I pray that others will see a difference in me. I commit that no one will work harder than I do, because You deserve my best in all I do. I commit that I will respect others --- teammates, coaches, referees, opponents. Lord, be glorified! In Jesus’ name I play and pray, Amen!