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Redemptive Greatness


Shaun White is one of the greatest athletes ever to grab a board-- skate or snow. He has proven this through the medals he has won throughout the years, culminating again in his 3rd Olympic gold medal in the halfpipe (2006, 2010, 2018). You may have noticed that I skipped a year in there. 4 years ago, at Sochi in 2014, White failed to win the gold, in fact failing to medal at all in his signature winter event.
White's victory in redeeming himself is a great example for us to look at. You see Shaun White, again as one of the greatest athletes on a board, made mistakes 4 years ago. He did not perform well enough to get a medal. He was so close, yet finishing in 4th place did not give him a prize.

As we live our lives, there are times when we will reach great heights. We will graduate from high school, college, or graduate studies. We get married. We get promoted to being "boss" of our company. Name whatever situation you may want-- we all experience greatness. But after greatness often comes a drop-off.

After high school graduation, we become a college freshman. After college graduation, we are the lowest and the newest member of a team at our chosen company. After marriage, there are times when we fight with our spouse. After becoming the boss in a company, we are often criticized and demeaned by those under us. Greatness can often be followed by failure.

The same holds true in the Christian life. We can have great moments. We can make decisions to follow God, make decisions of surrender, and have a mountain-peak time. But often after these times, we reach our lowest valleys. We lose someone we deeply love. We hit financial troubles. We face a temptation in our life that is greater than we have ever faced before. And through these times we may fail. We hit rock bottom.

And yet there is hope.

Despite our failures and disappointments, through God, we can reach heights of greatness again. This greatness may not be in the eyes of men, like Olympic gold. But this greatness can be in the eyes of God, like bringing a lost sinner to the knowledge of Christ. And one day, we will experience the greatest day of all. We will stand before God and receive the rewards that we have earned for our actions. And the greatest part of it all-- we will take those rewards, those crowns, and throw them down at the feet of Jesus. The one who has redeemed us to do great things will receive all of our praise.
PHOTO SOURCES: 
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