Over the past two weeks we have been glued to our television sets watching the Olympics from the “city of light.” There were memorable moments (like the opening ceremonies in the pelting rain) that we will recall for years to come. At least until our nation hosts the Summer Games in four years.

But we don’t need to wait for the Los Angeles Olympics to participate in the “Olympics of Life.” Regardless of whether you frequent a gym or exercise at home, here are some events that anyone can incorporate into their daily routines.

Remember to stretch. Flexibility is not as prevalent as it once was. In our current cultural environment, there is not much stretching to reach across the aisle on Capitol Hill (or in church). Differences in opinion and perspective are easily weaponized. There is a tendency to become rigid and unbending to the point of fracturing relationships within families and within congregations. What ever happened to the old adage “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity?” In the Olympics of Life stretching is a prerequisite to reaching out in love.

Recognize the balance beam of work and play. One of the highlights of the Paris Games for me was watching Simone Biles and her teammates on the balance beam. They demonstrated with seeming ease and grace just how beautiful maintaining one’s balance can be. And whereas the fruit of a balanced life is a thing of beauty, such fruit is not we Americans are known for. While watching the Olympic coverage, I heard a commentator mention how the French work in order to live whereas most Americans live to work. An unbalanced approach to our vocations can find us making a living without experiencing a meaningful life.

Wrestle worries and hurdle over fear. Like pebbles in a runner’s shoe, worry and fear keep us from maximizing our potential. We should learn from the Greco/Roman wrestlers and hurdlers we saw in Paris. They demonstrated how how to pin and leap over whom and what stood in their way. They faced their opponents and obstacles with the belief they can win.  Faith in a God (who is bigger than whatever we are facing) can give us the same belief. There is a quote from Corrie ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor, that hangs on our refrigerator. It says, Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.

Swim upstream against the current of what’s current. After Paris invested $1.5 billion into cleaning up the notoriously polluted Seine River, swimmers were prevented from participating in certain events for nearly a week. The pollution remained hazardous to the health of the athletes. Giving-in to cultural trends in order to be popular or to gain the approval of others can be just as toxic. As people of faith, we are called to take our cues from the truths of God’s Word in an attempt to perform before an audience of One.

Dive into what needs to be done. Can you imagine standing on the diving platform there in Paris? It’s comparable to standing atop a three-story building. As my Norwegian grandfather used to say, “uff-da!” But those Olympic divers have learned to leap with confidence.  In the Olympics of Life, we are often called to jump into tasks that at times seem overwhelming. Procrastination is a nemesis we must resist. Like the paparazzi in Paris, what distracts us can take our minds off what needs doing. Delaying the inevitable only makes what we are called to do more difficult.  

Walk with God. Are you familiar with that Olympic event where the walkers rapidly waddle around the track? To the uninitiated, the participants in that event look funny. But those are serious athletes. The first race-walking competition was held at the 1908 Games in London. In the Olympics of Life, the kind of walking I have in mind requires frequency and not speed. Walking with God is a daily activity in which we enjoy communion and conversation with the Creator of the universe. It’s an exercise regimen that helps us remain spiritually fit. And like those in Alcoholics Anonymous have discovered, progress is made one step at a time.