“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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During the 2022 Winter Olympics, cameras captured a beautiful moment following a cross-country ski race as the gold medalist, Iivo Niskanen of Finland, stood at the line to greet the last-place finisher from Columbia, Carlos Quintana, celebrating his completion of the race. It was a wonderful example of sportsmanship, which Niskanen was asked about later. He replied, “All athletes should respect each other. … Everyone has worked hard to be there.” His point was well taken that nobody is above anybody else. Especially at something as elite as the Olympics, just to be chosen and competing is a tremendous accomplishment and something that ought to be celebrated.
In a society where everyone is aiming to finish first, it’s easy to sometimes lose sight of those for whom just finishing is a victory. Some people have worked extremely hard to give themselves every opportunity, only to finish last and have to simply take pride in the journey without the rewards others enjoy. Not everyone walks away with the big promotion or the trophy or the position of esteem. But they fought just as much to advance and compete and work hard and do good. And they should be appreciated for it. Those who did make it to the top didn’t do so alone, and often the efforts of those who were aiding them or even competing for the same thing helped push them to produce their best that yielded the results.
If you’ve reached the top, have you taken a moment to acknowledge the “little guy” who was trying to advance or compete also? Have you celebrated others along the way, or were you so tied up in your own chase that you lost sight of the fact that others are in this race, this endeavor, too? Paul commended the church in Thessalonica for encouraging one another and building each other up, urging them to continue doing this. Is that you? Are you lifting others up even as you rise yourself? Or is the pursuit all about you?
Jesus taught that, in His Kingdom, “the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:16). Everything is inverted in the ways of Jesus. Whatever the world puts as the first thing here is exactly the opposite with Him. Heaven raises the lowly, speaks up for the outcasts, gives special attention to the overlooked, and celebrates everyone, regardless of their status, gender, color or past. The Hebrews 12 passage gives us the picture of saints who have gone before us, exhibiting the same behavior as Niskanen, cheering on even the worst sinner in their pursuit of eternity.
We, as Christ-followers, need to be respecting both the humanity and dignity of others, but also their gifts and the efforts they have made to get where they’ve gotten in life. Each one walks a different journey and regardless of how opposite theirs may be from yours, it’s still up to you to make them feel it’s been worthwhile and noticed.
Be the person standing at the line and letting the “little guy” know they matter. Because, in the eyes of Jesus, they do. And so do you.
— Katherine Singer
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