Gold Medals

Josh Davis won three gold medals in swimming at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, then two silver medals at the 2000 Games in Sydney, where he was captain of the U.S. swim team. Of course Michael Phelps won more gold at this year’s Beijing Olympics, but Josh Davis has won a lot more than the Olympic gold.

In his book, The Goal and the Glory (2008), he shared the glory of winning the Olympics, the joy and celebration as the medals were hung on his neck. He shared the feeling of pride and pageantry as he faced screaming fans, endless interviews, TV cameras. In his own words, “everybody who saw us treated us like gods.”

However, what happened the morning after?

“When I woke up the next morning, all the excitement, all the hype, all the adrenaline … it was all gone! Granted, I was still living in the Olympic Village, eating the free food, and looking forward to some more races, but the mood was drastically different from the night before. I had finally tasted the best the world had to offer, and it was sweet … but oh, so short! Having had a taste of glory, I now felt empty. It was sobering to experience the shock of a high so high followed by a low so low.”

“I looked for encouragement and perspective in God's Word, turning to 1 Peter 1:7: "Your faith is of greater worth than gold." I found comfort in the knowledge that my relationship with Jesus is infinitely more valuable and more precious than gold. Matthew 6:19-21 adds these words: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I realized then that my medal wouldn't last forever, but it was good to know that there is something that will.”

“Several people over the years have accidentally dropped my medal, and it is dented and scratched. Meanwhile, my cool monogrammed Olympic suitcase is falling apart, my Olympic towels are starting to unravel, and some of my Olympic clothes have bleach stains. This wear and tear reminds me that, eventually, everything material in this world will fall apart. God's Word reminds us that there are only three eternal things: God, his Word, and the souls of men and women. And when we invest our lives accordingly, by serving God and others in and through his love, we are storing up gold medals in heaven that will last forever.”

Meanwhile, Josh Davis is looking forward to his awards ceremony in heaven. He knows and understands that his Olympic ceremony experience will pale in comparison to that awaiting him in heaven.