Article April 26, 1993 Issue

Going for the gold within

Whether an athlete or not, you can excel in overcoming limitations through an understanding of the infinite capacities of Spirit, God.

James Robert Corbett

International Olympic competition, like the winter games in Albertville and the summer games in Barcelona, can have many emotional highs and lows—almost like a bungee cord ride—for spectators as well as participants.

"Going for the gold," as it's called in Olympic competition, can be disappointing or intensely rewarding. The difference doesn't depend, however, on whether or not we "place" in front of a crowd. Hard-earned success in overcoming limitation in any area of life has rewards that far surpass the cheering of crowds or the bestowal of medals. In fact, "going for the gold" within—enduring the moral and spiritual testing times that bring forth the gold of human character—may well be the most meaningful endeavor of all. We can learn something about this from the story of Job.

Victimized by calamity, having lost his entire family and all his possessions, Job finds his faith in God severely challenged. Contracting boils causes him to become harshly self-condemnatory, forcing from his lips this awful cry: "Let the day perish wherein I was born." Well-meaning counsel from his friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—only adds to his despair.

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