UNPACK this…For Olympic FansSample

“The Fear of Rio”

Unfortunately, one of the major storylines for the 2016 Olympics in Rio is concern for the safety and health of the athletes. Between the rampant Zika virus and the polluted water, many participants are either entering the games with tremendous fear or avoiding the risk by making the decision to stay home.

From the fan’s perspective, knowing exactly how dangerous these issues are for the athletes is hard to determine, but we can understand the fear of being exposed to them. I believe it was very important for each individual athlete to factor in all of the available information before determining if participating in the Olympics was a wise choice for them.

In life, fear and wisdom are always at play in our decision-making. I think it’s crucial that followers of Jesus should not live in fear. Instead, we need to constantly trust that God is in control and remember He’s all-powerful.

At the same time, we can’t be foolish and purposefully choose to put ourselves in dangerous or compromising situations. To avoid doing so, we must rely on God for direction to make wise choices when risks are in front of us.

Ultimately, athletes participating in the Rio Games made the decision to go, and must live with their choice. Today, let’s consider the importance of leaning on God for wisdom when making risky decisions, and avoid fear by recognizing when God is clearly leading us on His path. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that!