Olympic track star Sydney McLaughlin Levrone recently shared her faith in God and how it plays an integral role in her life on and off the track. The multi-gold medalist noted that she once strayed from God but found her way back to faith, putting her trust in Jesus Christ.
“He gives grace for every hurdle ⚡️ onto the next…” McLaughlin-Levrone said in a recent Instagram post, expressing the strength she receives from God. However, she described what it once was like staking her identity in her athletic accomplishments. “I convinced myself that I was put on this earth to win. And in order to receive love and respect from others, I had to finish first. If I didn’t, what good was I?” the track star said.
“[But with] Christ, being able to redirect that to him — that being the center and the focus of my identity…has helped everything else in my life to fall into place as it should be, which has been a blessing that’s helped on and off the track,” McLaughlin-Levrone said during a previous interview with TODAY.
In April, McLaughlin-Levrone shared a lengthy post on Instagram where she expressed her faith and love for Jesus. She illustrated how, despite our imperfections and shortcomings, the grace of Jesus Christ will endure through it all.
“He has experienced our pains. Our losses, our betrayals, our hardships, and our sufferings. Having lived all these troubles and more, Jesus understands. He has grace for us, having stood against the same trials and more. Yet it doesn’t stop with all of the negative qualities of life. Though He can empathize with us on our grief, the beauty of His life is that faith replaces it with joy. He offers peace, healing, comfort, and hope. No matter the struggle, or the fight,” she wrote.
The gold medalist further illustrated the joy of walking with God and submitting to His will, stating that there is not better “remedy” for the troubles of this life. She concluded her message by quoting Hebrews 4, which expresses the mercy and grace offered to us through Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, which washes away our sins.
“He is truly kind. Beyond loving, and abundantly faithful. Submitting to Him is not a chore but a joy, for there’s no better remedy for the aches and pains of life. ❤️ He is enough. ”So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.“ – Hebrews 4:14-16 .”
McLaughlin-Levrone’s expression of faith serves as a powerful testimony and inspiration for all those seeking Christ. The track star joins a number of other high-profile athletes who have publicly expressed their faith in Jesus Christ in recent times.
Featured image credit: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone / Instagram