I am Lance Armstrong

The sport of cycling was forever altered the day that Lance Armstrong was officially found to be a drug cheat and stripped of his Tour de France titles. What really happened to this modern-day American hero? How did he go from being one of the world’s most successful and inspirational sportsmen to its most reviled?

 

Lance Armstrong (Photo credit: goat karma)

 

Reports have it that Lance Armstrong not only resorted to doping himself to enhance his performance and chances of winning but also encouraged some of his colleagues to do so in order to protect himself. The trappings of being celebrated by people was far too much to lose for Armstrong. He became trapped by his own success and resorted to cheating to remain ahead of the competition.

All over the world, this revelation broke many hearts and dashed many hopes. Lance Armstrong was a modern idol, a fighter and a winner in the eyes of many. This is why his fall has been so highly publicised and painful to watch. He has lost so much. His dignity, respect, integrity, image and some of his wealth.

Some are ecstatic at this man’s tragic fall but I’m not because deep down inside, I am Lance Armstrong…and so are you.

What do I really mean by that? It’s simple. We are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory either in the past, the present or the future. Our fall may not be as public and dramatic as Lance Armstrong’s but the principles are the same. When you tell a little white lie to get an unfair advantage, you are Lance Armstrong. When you love the affirmation of people over obeying God then you have become Lance Armstrong. When you live an hypocritical lifestyle, you are Lance Armstrong. When you falsely ‘amend’ your CV for that dream job, you are Lance Armstrong. The list goes on and on.

What this man’s fall tells us all is that God cannot be mocked. We will all eventually reap what we sow in life.

However, the beauty of the gospel is that the story need not end here for Lance Armstrong. He may have lost a whole lot but there is so much more he can gain in Christ. I regret the fact he did not repent and come clean a lot earlier but there is no case too far gone for God to intervene. The Cross is the symbol of restoration and I strongly believe that Lance Armstrong and every other sinner including you and I, can always find hope in its power.

Knowing God, He can still work things out together for Lance Armstrong’s good. I don’t know what lies ahead for this man but as believers, we ought to pray for him and make sure we learn the lessons of his fall. We are also to pray for ourselves because apart from God’s grace, you and I are Lance Armstrong.