The Reward
The Winter Olympics are almost over. If you have watched any of it, there are some things that are good. The United States is getting some medals, but not as many as in the summer games. Every four years those who like the competition among the countries can see the best each country has and all of the winners, almost winners, and even those who did not place at all.
I can’t imagine what its like (and don’t care to) to see someone on a luge flying down a course of ice at up to 70 or so miles per hour. This old man does not have the desire to do this, and he did not when he was younger, either. Those snowboarders also are amazing to watch. The United States took the gold medal in the mixed competition this year, and the man and the woman were the oldest of all that were out there. He was 40, and she was 36. Way to go. The hockey teams and some other events are doing well as I write these words.
These participants spend endless hours honing their skill. We may never see how much time they actually put into their sport, but we know it cannot just happen overnight. But they have to do this if they want to do well, and all of them would love to bring home a gold medal in the event they participate in.
When we apply some of this to the spiritual side of our lives, we need to see how much we put in to be the godly person the Scriptures teach us to be. Being a Christian and living the Christian life do not just happen. It takes a purpose that we must have if we are going to please our Savior.
Jesus went the distance and gave His all for us. Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (NASB) He gave up the very place where we all want to spend our eternity. Second Corinthians 8:9 informs us, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” Jesus was rich in that He was in heaven. He gave that up to come to the earth to die for our sins. He did not have anything while here but we, through His poverty, might become rich.
There are so many Scriptures we could use, and yet there is only so much space for these words. As the contestants in the Olympics give their all for their sport, let’s make sure we are giving our all for the eternal life that is more important than the one in this world. Take time for God. Read His Word. Study it. Practice it in your everyday life. The reward will be so much better than the piece of medal that will perish one day.