Daily Devotional for Monday, November 21

Incorruptible Crown

Paul sure loved his sports metaphors. In the Roman empire of the time, almost everyone would have gotten the references Paul was making. The idea of competitors being rewarded for training hard, running hard and competing according to the rules made perfect sense to them. That is how it worked in the various athletic games played at the time. Competitors were literally rewarded with a crown at the finish of a successful race. It is important to note that simply outrunning everybody else did not ensure a crown because the competitor had to run the race correctly, following the established rules and protocols. The winner had to do things right. 

We will all be judged. Of course, those who have been covered by the blood of Jesus will never be judged to determine if they merit Heaven or not. Jesus took that judgment on Himself, and we will never face it. For those who believe, our destiny with God eternally is secure with no exceptions. We will, however, be assessed for how we ran the race of life. Those who run it God’s way will be rewarded, and those who run it their way will not be. 

The race is hard and long. It takes training and hard work to run it right. At times, we may think we know the best way to run, and the shortcuts to take to get to the finish. That is not how it works, though. If we run our way, we may show up at the finish line and merely wonder where our prize is. If we run it God’s way, that prize will be there waiting for us.

JUST A THOUGHT: Those who do not even bother to run, should not be shocked when they do not get a prize.

Wally Fry