Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Finds Her Worth in Christ, Not Performance
By Movieguide® Contributor
Whether she wins or loses, two-time Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone knows that her worth comes from who she is in Christ.
However, she didn’t always have that mindset, and she constantly fought anxiety and fear.
“I think anxiety and fear for me, it kind of just came from my desire to be perfect in all things, and the reality is that nobody can do that,” McLaughlin Levrone said on CBN’s THE 700 CLUB. “I think for me, that was a constant battle internally of how do I get as close to perfect as possible in a world where you can’t control your circumstances or what happens to you all the time.”
“For me, it constantly left me in a state of fear and especially on the track, racing against other people who are as good, if not better,” the 400-meter world record holder said. “That was a constant battle of, ‘Am I enough? Will I ever be enough? Or will I ever measure up to the standard that I have for myself and that other people have for me?'”
She realized that her worth could only come from God.
“‘God, I need you. You know, there’s no way I’m going to heal from all of this unless it’s with you,'” she prayed. “And so during COVID, that was when I truly started seeking him.”
McLaughlin-Levrone understood that a genuine relationship with the Lord—not one based on performance but rather on love— would be enough.
“The lens in which I viewed life had truly switched and understanding that, in and of myself, I have nothing to offer God, but it is just the righteousness of Jesus covering my life, based upon my faith, that is presentable before him,” she explained.
After finding that relationship, McLaughlin-Levrone secured the world record time in the 400-meter hurdles and won her two Olympic gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
She recently released “Far Beyond Gold: Running from Fear to Faith,” which explores her story more.
“For majority of my life I had an unhealthy relationship with fear,” the athlete posted on Instagram. “It controlled everything, until God’s grace granted me true and lasting freedom by way of Jesus Christ, and my prayer is that this book will encourage readers to seek the one who grants lasting freedom resulting in an inheritance that is Far Beyond Gold!”
Movieguide® recently reported:
In an interview with Fit For The King, the track-and-field star discussed how she balances physical training with spiritual training.
“More so now than ever, but I think growing up the idea of perseverance and working towards a goal and every day becoming better and wanting to learn, I truly believe that coincides so much with my walk with God and pushing towards hearing the ‘Well done my good and faithful servant,’” she began.
McLaughlin-Levrone then quoted 1 Corinthians 10:31, which reads, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
“I think that…now motivates me in track. I don’t think I was as aware of it growing up, but I do believe that they work so well together, and I can truly see Good in my running and in my performances,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.
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