Jonathan Edwards knows the sacrifice required for success. Training many hours per day. Eating a perfectly prescribed diet. Sleeping right. It takes self-discipline and a strong will.

But it pays!

Edwards is the world-record holder in the triple jump. He has competed in three Olympics and has been named World Athlete of the Year (1995). Edwards is calling people to a similar commitment — but not to jumping.

"The commitment to achieve what I have achieved is the same commitment that is called for to follow Christ," Edwards says. "Jumping doesn't dominate my life; Christ does. He is my passion."

Edwards says that as he has grown in his commitment to Jesus Christ, he has grown as an athlete — and vice versa. "Training as an athlete gives me a great deal of understanding about living to please Jesus," he says. "Christ calls for sacrifices. A follower of Christ would naturally want to do things that please Him and would want to serve Him."

Christ sacrificed himself for the sin of mankind. Thus, Edwards stresses working to please Christ, not working to be saved from hell. "There's nothing we can do to earn salvation," Edwards said. "Salvation comes through believing in Christ. But, the Bible is very clear that a person who believes will live a different way. Belief that saves is a life that lives for Him. If you understand what He did for you, you don't want to do anything but live for Him. Anything else is very selfish."

Edwards says personal success isn't selfish if it's done to the glory of God and at God's direction.

"I don't under play what has happened to me as an athlete — I've enjoyed it," he said. "But it's been an expression of my commitment. I'm called by God to be an athlete, but foremost I'm called to share the Gospel. I think of myself foremost as a follower of Christ who wants to do what He wants me to do rather than just be an athlete.

"In terms of what drives me, it's my relationship with God. It's not being the best athlete."

That perspective keeps Edwards from getting depressed when he doesn't succeed. Though favored to win the gold medal in the triple jump in Atlanta in 1996, he won the silver. He was immediately reminded of 1 Peter 1:7. Edwards says, "The testing of my faith was, and is, much more important than Gold."