THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Daniel – 20th February 2026

Running the Race on Ice: Faith, Courage, and the Road to the Finish

Every four years, the world turns its eyes to the spectacle of the Winter Olympics. We watch athletes step onto the ice and snow after years of unseen early morning discipline, aching muscles, and quiet sacrifices. Whether it’s the speed of the skater, the focus of the skier, or the steady nerve of the bobsleigh team, each event tells a deeper story of perseverance, hope, heartbreak, and courage. As I watch the Winter Olympics currently taking place in Italy, I am reminded that behind every medal stands a journey. Some athletes stood on the podium with tears of joy. Others finished far from the medals, yet with equal dignity. In both victory and defeat, we can glimpse something profoundly Christian.

Working Hard for What Is Unseen

Olympians train for years for a race that may last less than a minute. Their preparation often goes unnoticed by the crowds. This echoes the words of St Paul: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Paul is not encouraging rivalry in faith, but commitment. The Christian life, like Olympic training, requires discipline, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, and steadfast love. These are habits that are formed in the hidden places of our lives. We may not stand in a stadium, but each of us is called to faithfulness in our own lane, be it parenting, serving, studying, caring, working, or praying. Much of it feels ordinary, yet in God’s eyes, no faithful effort is wasted.

Winning with Humility

When an athlete wins gold, we celebrate an excellence that is rewarded. Yet the finest champions often show humility by acknowledging coaches, teammates, family, even competitors. They know their victory is not theirs alone. Scripture reminds us: “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above.” (James 1:17)

When success comes, whether in career, ministry, family, or personal growth, we must not receive it as proof of our superiority, but as gift from God. Our Christian response to success should be gratitude, giving praise to the One who made it so.

Losing with Grace

Perhaps the most powerful Olympic moments are not the victories, but the falls - the skater who rises after a crash to finish the routine, the skier who misses a medal by a fraction of a second yet smiles through tears. In those moments, we see resilience. The writer of Hebrews encourages us: “Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1–2)

Not every effort brings visible success. Prayers sometimes seem unanswered, good work may go unnoticed, we may fail, stumble, or come last. Yet we know we are not running for applause, we run looking to Christ for our help, our joy, and our salvation

Courage on the Ice

Winter sports demand courage. To launch down an icy track at high speed or leap into the air on skis requires trust, trust in preparation, in training, in something beyond fear. Faith also requires courage. To forgive when wounded, to hope when discouraged, to stand for justice, and to love when it costs us something. God repeatedly tells His people:

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Our courage does not come from self-confidence alone, but from the assurance of God’s presence.

Finishing the Race

For many athletes, simply reaching the Olympics is the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. Finishing the race, regardless of placement, is itself a victory. At the end of his life, St Paul wrote: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

The Christian life is not about being the fastest or most decorated. It is about finishing faithfully, it is about remaining rooted in Christ through joy and sorrow, gain and loss. So, as we reflect on the spirit of the Winter Olympics, may we remember that our lives, too, are a kind of race. There will be training seasons and waiting seasons. There will be victories and disappointments. There will be moments when we feel strong and moments when we fall. But we are not alone on the ice. Christ runs beside us, the communion of saints cheers us on, and the prize set before us is not a medal that fades but the eternal embrace of God.

Daniel Khan, Licenced Lay Minister