Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Our third Olympics parallel is that behind each Olympic Hopeful is a contingent of Olympic Helpfuls.

Today’s scripture, 1 Corinthians 12:22‭-‬24 (NLT) says…
In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

Consider…
It occurs to me that there were many unsung and unseen individuals that contributed to the success of this US Olympic Hopefuls this year. Watching post event interviews and press conferences revealed there was a contingent of Helpfuls comprised of coaches, equipment managers, medical personnel, nutritionist, family, friends and fans, etc., that helped the Olympic Hopefuls pursue their dream of bringing home a gold medal. It became more clear as each winner spoke that without a contingent of Helpfuls there are no Hopefuls.

As my appreciation for the Olympic Helpfuls grew, my thoughts shifted to the testimony of believers written in Romans 5:6‭-‬11 (NLT). The testimony is…
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Notice the Apostle Paul said that Christ helped when we needed help the most. Later on in the passage Paul shows God the Father’s unified help. I see that in the words…
God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

The Holy Spirit completes the Divine Triumvirate. Romans 8:26 (ERV) explains…
Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words.

One wonderful Olympic sub-parallel today is that we have a Helpful Triumvirate; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that makes us glorification Hopefuls!

Although, God is the only help we need, He also created other human beings to help us here on earth. In fact, God made a suitable helper for man. Genesis 2:18 (NLT) says…
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”

And Ecclesiastes 4:9‭-‬10 (NLT) underscores God’s intentional design when it says…
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

I thought of this when I heard one gold medalist explain that although when he was behind in his event and it seemed to hard that he reminded himself that he had practiced harder than this. Although this athlete’s trainer was on the track with him, he prepared him to win. As a matter of fact, the athlete said the trainer told him that the margin of victory would be miniscule. And Noah Lyles won the Olympic 100 meter race by five-thousandths of a second — that’s .005 of one tick of the clock.

Just like Lyles remembered his trainer’s words, we can remember Jesus’ words in John 16:33 (NLT)…
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Although said in different ways, Jesus and the trainer’s message was the same, which is you can win despite the adversity that you’ll face.

A couple of Sundays ago a dear preacher friend of mine emphasized in his stern dad voice that everyone of us has a God given gift that is important to the body of Christ! He quoted a famous line from the movie ‘The Help’ to reinforce his point…

“You is smart, you is kind, you is important”

An interesting point about that quote is that it was “the help” encouraging her employer’s daughter even though she had just been fired.

There’s a valuable lesson there. Doing good isn’t predicated on good being done to you. We know this is true, otherwise why would Christ die for us (Romans 5:6‭-‬8).

Don’t let your good be limited by someone else’s bad. In fact Romans 12:21 (NASB1995) succinctly says…
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Thinking through the helpmates God has placed in our lives, including Christ and the Holy Spirit, I realize the main thing Helpfuls do is help us Hopefuls be good.

I believe that why the author of Hebrews 10:24 (NLT) wrote…
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

Motivating one another to acts of love and good works, aligns with God’s will. I say that because Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) declares…
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

God called and chose us to do good things that glorify Him and edify others. He also sent us help in the persons of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. And He sent even more help in the people He placed in our lives.

So if you’re like me and you enjoy watching Olympic Hopefuls succeed, remember there’s a contingent of Olympic Helpfuls that aided them in being so good.

More importantly, if you are an Eternal Life Hopeful, thank God for His contingent of Eternity Helpfuls, including Himself, that He has given you.

Today’s song is…
I Need You To Survive

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)