-December 17, 2024-
Good morning beloved, happy Tuesday,
“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”
(1 Corinthians 9:25).
Paul came across many athletic contests in his missionary journeys. I believe he was impressed by the endurance, strength, and athleticism of the athletes who competed in the Games. Here in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul uses athletes as examples of how we should live for the Lord and serve Him.
He uses runners and boxers in particular as an object lessons for us. Athletes who compete must have self-discipline and self-control. They do so to obtain a perishable crown. They used to award the athletes who were victorious with a crown of leaves. Needless to say the leaves didn’t last very long.
Nowadays athletes win gold, silver, and bronze medals along with a nice check. Some become celebrities and often sign lucrative endorsement contacts with millions of dollars. Even so, compared to eternity, their crowns are still perishable. Not so with our crowns as Christians. Our crowns are imperishable and eternal.
In the Olympics, only one can win the prize; but in Christ we can all be victorious. Our victories are spiritual over our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our crowns will be awarded to us in heaven by the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, as we discussed yesterday.
Are you running with endurance the race that is set before you? To do so, we must lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus (See Hebrews 12:1-2).
Have a blessed day running the race for Jesus. Stay strong, safe, and healthy.
As the hymn writer wrote, “Until the race is run, until the journey’s done, until the crown is won, teach me Thy way.”
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 