Gabby Douglass was the 16-year-old gymnast phenom who won the coveted gold medal in the 2012 Olympics in London in the women’s all-around event.

She endeared herself to millions of her fellow Americans and others from around the world with her bright smile, positive attitude, and “team-first” focus.

Gabby was interviewed by a reporter after winning the gold medal and said, “It is everything I thought it would be. Being an Olympic champion is definitely an amazing feeling. I give all the glory to God. It is kind of a win-win situation. The glory goes up to him and the blessings fall down on me.“

I am consistently impressed in God’s strategy for building his kingdom. He calls out men, women, and children to be devoted to him and share their lives with others in love. We see this consistently throughout the Scriptures and in people’s lives today.

The wonderful attribute about God is that the little 4 or 5 year-old girl who is just learning to do a flip for the very first time is just as important as Gabby Douglass.

Whether you are a world-class athlete or a simple person in small-town America,

God’s way is the same. Psalm 29 provides us with how this works in the life devoted to him.

Verse two says, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.” The word “ascribe” means “to credit or assign”. We should give credit and glory to God which is due him simply because of who he is. The last verse of Psalm 29 ends with “the Lord blesses his people…” There is a lot that takes place between the Glory of God and the Blessing of His People.

A story unfolds in our lives filled with “ups” and “downs”; both victories and defeats.

It is accomplished through a laser beam focus on God’s glory. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” How did Gabby Douglass respond when a microphone was stuck in her face?

“I give all the glory to God.” What you and I do today may not result in a “gold medal” the magnitude of the Olympics.

However, we have an opportunity to commit ourselves to loving Christ, serving our families, caring for our neighbors, and performing our jobs with integrity for the same glory of God. What will result?

Blessings from him. They may not be the blessings we think or even desire but they are the blessings he wants us to have nonetheless.