Shortgrass
Well-known member
As we have all probably watched athletes compete for a prize these last several days, I thought of 2 Tim. 2:5. "If an athlete competes for a prize, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules." Certain other things go with that crown. He is not crowned unless he has suffered and sacrificed, crashed and burned, rebounded, felt defeated, felt elated, shed tears of pain as well as tears of joy, worked for a lifetime and in general endured all these things with longsuffering. As we watched these athletes, they had this in common, no matter what their nationality, it was worth every bit of work. The sacrifice seemed so small a price to give for the prize they had achieved – and their crown is corruptible! Paul finishes this letter to Timothy with this statement in 4:7 & 8, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished (no mention of the place, only that he finished) the race, I have kept the Faith. Finally! There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not to me only, but to all who loved his appearing." I don't have to be a giant of the faith as was Paul, I just have to love the Lord, and love the day that He "appeared" to me. With all that in mind, it is a cinch to have a good Sunday mornin' is it not?
