“Something about that champion swimmer doesn’t look right,” I thought, as the world watched America’s Michael Phelps take another gold medal in Beijing. “It’s something about his proportions.”

Then, Thursday night, August 14, I found out what it is. Turns out I was right.

NBC’s Bob Costas pointed out that Michael Phelps was “engineered” for swimming. He’s 6 feet 4 inches tall, his feet are size 14 (like flippers, Costas said), and his huge hands work like scoops. However, his legs are short, just right for the body of a six-foot-tall man. His torso is V-shaped, with these massive shoulders tapering down to a 32-inch waist.

The rest of the field is beat before they enter the water. Michael Phelps was built for championships. Add to these natural gifts a talent for self-discipline and hard work, and it’s all over. The sweet spirit and killer smile are icing on the cake.

In an Associated Press story, reporter Paul Newberry quotes a Russian swimmer who had come in second to Phelps. “He is just a normal person, but maybe from a different planet.” An official who overheard that added, “The problem is, we have an extraterrestrial. No one else can win.”

Sure glad he’s on our side. At this point, he has won 6 gold medals, about half of all the USA has taken, and more than all but three or four nations of the world. He is a phenomenon. The best ever.

I imagine my sister and her family–that would be the PHELPS clan from Nauvoo, Alabama–are popping buttons right now. I would.

As a minister, I’ve encountered a few “Michael Phelpses” in the ministerial world over the years, people who seem to have been programmed for great success in the preaching and church-leadership world. They work hard, they love the Lord and do things right, but sitting there in the audience listening to them, you get the impression that they had a head start on the rest of us from the time they were born.

I used to listen in awe to the staccato rhythms and clear cutting voice of the young Billy Graham. How does he do that, I wondered. His sentences were planned just the right length, ordered in just the right way, and spoken with crispness and power. And those penetrating eyes. I would think, “I’ll bet the man could read a menu and people would get saved.”

I’m familiar with his story, know some of Mr. Graham’s family, and have visited with him on several occasions–once for an hour and a half in my office–and I’ll tell you, he can speak all he pleases about being a simple farm boy whom God took and decided to use. I say there’s something special about him and would not be surprised if God had not taken a special interest in this one from conception, as Jeremiah chapter 1 indicates the Almighty did with that prophet. He came straight from the drawing board equipped for world-conquest for my money.

The generation following Mr. Graham gave us John Bisagno, another “Michael Phelps” of the pulpit. A knock-you-over personality, a laser-like focus, incredible voice, and sweet spirit–all combined to make this man the first “celebrity” pastor (sorry, John–no other way to put it) in our denomination ever. He was the first to baptize a thousand people in one year at First Baptist Houston in the early 1970s. We used to tease him about spending so much time in the baptistry he sloshed as he walked.

Did Bisagno work hard? I have no knowledge, but have no doubt. On the other hand, I’ve heard him say, “Give me a Bible and notebook and lock me in a room for two hours and I have my sermon.” He had a predilection for this work, a gift for it.

Billy Graham and John Bisagno were the Michael Phelps of the ministerial world of their generations: seemingly engineered by the Almighty for unbelievable success and effectiveness in preaching.

This generation has given us Andy Stanley, Ed Young Junior, and a host of other young ministers who seem to have arrived straight from the Master’s hand ready-made for success and effectiveness in the Lord’s work.

You would not want to compete with Michael Phelps. At best, you would be setting your focus on coming in second. Not a good motivation for all the training such competition requires; not a good way to start a race.

For those of us in the Lord’s work who look around at a singularly gifted minister in our town who seems to have it easy, who gets all the acclaim, who seems to have been built for success in this work, while the rest of us have to slog, plod, grind, and burn the midnight oil–and even then, have only limited success–it helps to remember something.

We’re not in competition with these young stars. We’re on the same team.

Think of us as a relay team.

One of Michael Phelps’ medals came from Tuesday night’s 400-meter freestyle relay, where he depended on other swimmers on his team to pull out a victory. The French team had boasted they were going to take the gold. One of their swimmers promised to “smash” the Americans.

Michael Phelps led off the four man relay for Team USA and set a world record for his leg. Then, he stood on the side watching his team members in competition, rooting for them. The final leg, called “the anchor,” had America’s Jason Lezak going up against the star of the French team. At 32, Lezak was the grand old man of the American relay team. After winning bronze and silver the last two Olympics, he said he was tired of losing. He put forth an incredible effort and touched the wall a millisecond before the Frenchman.

All the while Michael Phelps and the rest of the team were out of the pool, screaming, cheering him on.

Team members with Michael Phelps.

That’s the best way to bring home the gold.

Next time you go to a conference and hear a champion preacher who has built a mega-church, written one best-seller after another, and seems to have everything going for him, rejoice in him. You’re not competitors.

You’re on the same team.

Check out what Paul said in I Corinthians chapter one about people choosing their favorite preachers. In I Corinthians 3:6, he put it all in perspective, “I planted, Apollos water, but God gave the increase.”

It’s unnecessary to pick a favorite pastor. We’re all on the same team. Cheer for one another. Rejoice in every one.

After all, the others are cheering for you.