He and his Sky team boss insist that they have not taken drugs to improve their performances. I hope they are proved to be telling the truth, as cycling has had far too many cheats in the 'sport'.
But Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, two of the fastest sprinters in the world, have been taking performance enhancing drugs. It appears that the evidence against them is robust. They take drugs to be able to improve their performance.
What has this to do with people wanting to follow Jesus?
Just as elite sports stars are under pressure to be good and better than the rest, so many people I encounter feel they must try to appear better than they are.
Many seem hooked on an addiction to performance-related affirmation. Unless such people get lots of 'well done' and praise, they feel unacceptable. So appearances and affirmation shape they way they live. It is like being on drugs.
Then the temptation is to assume we can live a followers of Jesus by keeping up appearances, rather than focusing on our deepening relationship with Jesus.
So I am reminded - again - of the words of Jesus. 'Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.' (John 15.4,5)
We need to remember that there are no performance enhancing gimmicks or courses or techniques, so that we can suddenly seem more spiritual or godly than we are.
The only thing that matters is whether we are staying connected to Jesus.
Do that, and everything else will sort itself.
Don't trust me! Trust Him!
Best wishes,
Richard
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