Welcome to “Athlos” a weekly Wednesday blog which examines pillars of personal excellence and regularly brings together the worlds of spirituality and sport.
Preserve their purity
“…Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity”-1 Timothy 5:1b-2
Preserve their dignity
Every so often, news emanates from the world of sport that makes us pause and ask: “How can we fix this?” Two sets of heartbreaking news have impacted the sports industry recently. The recent stadium disaster in Indonesia is a modern-day tragedy with over 100 souls being ushered into eternity in tragic circumstances. The other story describes another type of loss.
A recent investigative report into women’s football in the USA revealed alarming levels of abuse meted out to players. Many female players were abused emotionally, verbally and sexually in what must have been a toxic culture of manipulation, fear and intimidation.
This scenario is reminiscent of the gymnastics scandal of a few years ago which resulted in one sports doctor being jailed for life and a coach, sadly, taking his own life when confronted by the law. These matters have been exposed in America, but are, unfortunately, not exclusive to that nation.
I am reminded of the apostle Paul’s charge to Timothy, a young minister and shepherd over a Christian community in first century Ephesus in Greece. Paul’s admonition, cited above, was succinct but clear: “Treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.”
The call is to look at every young woman and, by extension, all women as if they were your own blood sister. This passage helps me whenever I am tempted to look at a woman with lustful intent. If I would not watch my sister that way, then I should not watch any woman, other than my wife, with sensual desires. Every woman has been created in the image of God, whose vision is for all of them to be clothed and treated with purity, absolute purity.
Preserve their legacy
Women are a gift, an expression of divine grace. Protect them and preserve their legacy.
If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these and other related themes that promote the cultivation of an integrated inner self, read UNBEATABLE! which is available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.
This Post Has 2 Comments
True. We are a gift. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Michelle.