Star performers work hard to be the best at what they do. Imagine how much time, discipline and practice it takes for those who compete in the Olympics to master what they do. They mesmerize us with the perfection and ease with which they do what seems surreal to us. Their ultimate goal is to bring home the gold. For Christians, however, the ultimate crown is the one we will receive from the Lord.
We should serve the Lord in the spirit of excellence. He has blessed each of us with abilities and gifts to serve Him. Good stewards perfect these gifts and abilities, bringing glory to His name.
We read about the notoriety, fame, and money that star performers and athletes of this world receive. But no relevant comparison exists between their rewards and ours as servants of the Lord. “They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 9:25, KJV).
This is not to suggest that being a Christian and being a superb professional athlete or performer are incompatible. One can be both at the same time. In fact, we should be good stewards of whatever abilities God has blessed us with. But the point is that what we do for the Lord is far more important than anything else. When we have this conviction, it helps to keep us properly grounded in life.
How We Receive a Crown from the Lord
Significant differences exist between a crown from this world and one from heaven. The former is temporal; the latter is eternal. The former is corruptible; the latter is incorruptible. The former comes about through hard work, the latter through faith.
Through no level of performance can we earn a crown from heaven. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ. To receive the crown God has for us, we must keep the faith until the end. Accomplishing this is not incidental to being a Christian. The Bible talks about those who will depart from the faith (1 Timothy 4:1). We must not allow anything or anyone to keep us from reaching the finish line of our faith journey.
Some Christians preoccupy themselves with worldly pursuits. By comparison, they do little or nothing to maintain and deepen their relationship with Lord. In doing so, they are making a statement about which crown they value the most.
We must stay focused on the real deal. In the end, the only crown that will matter is the one that comes from the Lord. Only those who endure until the end will “take home the gold.”
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.