He was the heir apparent to Michael Phelps’ Olympic throne. The American swimmer Ryan Lochte was reduced to a punchline in 2106. He and three fellow American swimmers falsely claimed they were robbed at gunpoint by men with police badges while in the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. His fall from grace was swift as he went from Olympic glory to the most hated person in America. To make things worse, he initially showed no remorse. The U.S. Olympic Committee banned Lochte for ten months. The swimmer lost four major endorsements from brands, including Speedo and Ralph Lauren, along with this disciplinary measure. Lochte later said, “The past two weeks have been like the lowest point of my life.”

1 Kings 11-12 Self-Destruction

Our greatest enemy is most often ourselves, and our most painful wounds are self-inflicted. This was not only the case for Ryan Lochte but Solomon as well. Chapter 11 concludes with Solomon’s reign as king. His spiritual compromises led to terrible leadership decisions with consequences that impacted Israel by causing it to be divided into two nations.

Each of us is vulnerable in the same way Solomon was. None of us are immune from sin. Solomon’s disloyalty to God began when he desired many foreign women, which led to tolerating their false gods. Solomon’s story can help us be more aware of the deadly consequences of sin in our own lives.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete watch for signs of spiritual compromise so they don’t slip into temptations that lead to them disobeying commands in God’s Word.

Bible Memory Verse – “And Yahweh said to him (Elijah), “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and you will arrive and anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.” 1 Kings 19:15-16 (LSB)