Going for Gold
This past week saw the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games in France and for 16 days, 10,500 of the world’s best athletes from more than 200 nations will compete in 32 different categories of sports to claim their gold. Spectators from around the world will witness the result of years of hard work, sweat, tears, sacrifices, pain, endless hours of practice, and getting knocked down over and over, then learning how to stand up again. These Olympians know what it feels like to face the fire and are now seeking their gold on the other side of it.
Why Face the Fire?
Natural gold ore contains a mixture of gold and other materials. In order to get the most value out of the gold, the ore is subjected to intense heat, causing the gold to melt and separate from the impurities that either evaporate or form a slag that can be removed. The molten gold, now purer, is poured into molds to cool and solidify. This process may be repeated several times to achieve higher purity, resulting in the final product of refined, radiant gold.
The idea of using fire to refine gold is a great metaphor that extends beyond the Olympic Games – within each of us lies hidden gold, waiting to be discovered. But there are two critical steps to finding that gold.
- Before gold can be refined, someone has to prepare the furnace. It’s not a secret that life comes with plenty of challenges that serve as refining fires for us. These unavoidable difficulties can lead to growth, but there is immense power in choosing your fire – willingly and intentionally creating space to experience challenge and growth. Choosing to create these spaces for refining is not only empowering, it also better prepares you for the unexpected fires. You are able to react and respond as an already refined version of yourself.
- Once the gold separates, the slag needs to be discarded. Often, when we begin to uncover and see our own gold, we quickly shift our focus back to our imperfections and the things we judge we are not. Identifying and valuing our inherent worth is crucial. Just as refined gold remains valuable and pure despite the initial presence of impurities, our true worth remains unchanged by our flaws. Sometimes we think a holy God would only want to point out our problems and sins. But the truth is that He is a blessing God and by embracing our gold, we start to see ourselves as the precious and valuable individuals God says we are.
This whole process is one of the paradoxes of life. Facing the fire, being challenged, and seeing the parts of ourselves that we don’t like can be difficult – it can be painful and shameful. But underneath the pain and shame, we find our gold – our beauty, power, and strength.
The Challenge: Go for Gold
Are you ready to face the fire and uncover your inner gold? Many shy away from this deep soul work, opting for easier paths that offer temporary satisfaction. But in the end, they miss the beauty and glory (to God) of being refined.
As we watch the Olympians strive for their gold medals, let their dedication and resilience inspire you to embark on your own journey of refinement. Just as they have trained, sacrificed, and pushed through challenges, you too can achieve greatness by embracing the fires of life and emerging as your purest, most valuable self. Take the leap, face the fire, and claim your gold. The time is now.