Starting Right
Starting Right is a 5 minute Day Starter to help keep you motivated, encouraged, and focused throughout your day. DannyMac is a pastor, teacher, motivational speaker, husband, and father. His years of leading and training people have given him vast experience in helping individuals to accomplish change in their lives and meet their goals. He can help you set the course for your day by offering practical advice from God's Word in a positive and fun way. There is no better way to begin your day than by Starting Right with DannyMac.
Starting Right
True Victory: Beyond the Finish Line
What does true character look like when victory is within reach? Spanish athlete Ivan Anaya answers this question through an extraordinary act of sportsmanship that challenges our understanding of winning and integrity.
When Kenyan Olympic bronze medalist Abel Mutai mistakenly stopped running 10 meters before the finish line during a 2012 cross-country race, second-place runner Anaya had a choice. Rather than seizing an easy victory, he guided his confused competitor to the actual finish line, ensuring Mutai crossed first. "I didn't deserve to win," Anaya later explained. "He was the rightful winner." While his own coach expressed disappointment at the missed opportunity, Anaya stood firm: "I think I have earned more of a name by having done what I did than if I had won."
This remarkable story serves as a powerful counterpoint to what many call our society's "crisis of character," where integrity is often measured merely by not getting caught doing wrong. Drawing from Philippians 4:8-9, we explore Paul's timeless guidance to fix our thoughts on what is "true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable." When we internalize these values, they naturally manifest in our actions – even in unexpected moments that test our character.
What difference might you make today through an unexpected act of integrity? Join us as we examine how doing what's right, especially when no one expects it, can create ripple effects far beyond ourselves.
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mac and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right. Well, good morning everyone, and welcome to another day. It is so good to have you with us today.
Speaker 1:Hey, I am always excited when I can come across a story of someone who does something unexpected, and when they do that, they make such a positive impact on the people far beyond themselves. Well, I have a story like that for you today. This is the story of a Spanish athlete by the name of Ivan Anaya who, on December 2nd 2012,. Was in a cross-country race against multiple world-class athletes. Was in a cross-country race against multiple world-class athletes. In that group was the bronze medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase from the London Olympics, a fellow by the name of Abel Mutai, from Kenya. Mutai was leading the race as they came towards the finish line. In fact, he was a significant distance ahead of Anaya, who was running in second. But Mutai, as he got towards the finish line, misjudged where that finish line was and he actually stopped running about 10 meters before the finish line. Anaya recognized what had happened and quickly caught up with him. But instead of exploiting Mutai's mistake, he stayed behind him and, using hand gestures, guided the Kenyan to cross the finish line ahead of him first. Later on he said I didn't deserve to win it. I did what I had to do. He was the rightful winner. He created a gap that I couldn't have closed if he hadn't made a mistake, and as soon as I saw he was stopping I knew I wasn't going to pass him.
Speaker 1:Anaya's coach wasn't all that proud of him. In fact, he was quite disappointed that he didn't take advantage of the situation. The coach said it was a very good gesture of honesty. A gesture of that kind isn't made anymore, or rather of the kind that has never been made, a gesture that I myself wouldn't have made. I certainly would have taken advantage of it to win.
Speaker 1:But Anaya had a different approach. For him that day, it was all about doing what's right. It was about character. It was about making sure that the proper thing happened. Later, in another interview, he spoke about it again. He did say I think I have earned more of a name by having done what I did than if I had won. And that is very important, because today, with the way things are in circles, in soccer, in society, in politics, where it seems anything goes, a gesture of honesty goes down. Well, here's a man who decided he was going to do what is right. There's been what's called a crisis of character in our society. It seems that there are many people that believe that good character simply means you don't get caught doing the bad things. If you get caught doing the bad things, then you have bad character, but as long as you can get away with it, well then you're okay.
Speaker 1:Paul doesn't talk to us that way. In Philippians 4, verses 8 and 9, paul says this Dear brothers and sisters, one final thing Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise, and then keep putting them into practice and all the things you've learned and received from me, everything you heard from me and saw me doing, and then the God of peace will be with you. Paul's saying that these are the things to think about, and then not only think about them, but to put them into practice. Paul's saying.
Speaker 1:It's what's inside of us, it's those things deep down that we're going to come out and allow us to do and be people of character, people whose word is true and honest and we stand by what we say.
Speaker 1:We take responsibility for what we do. We live as people of character. So let's make a difference by being people of character, people who stand by our word, people who speak truth and honesty. When others deal with us, they know that our word is our bond, that we are who we say we are, that we are genuine and real and in doing that we can make a difference in our world. When we do what's right, it's often totally unexpected, and when it's unexpected, it impacts people even more. So think on the things that Paul has listed and live the life that Paul has declared we can have in Jesus Christ and make a difference in your world today, because you can make a difference. Have a great day, my friends. We'll talk tomorrow. Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday, right here on Starting Right with Danny Mac.
