"And now the prize awaits me--the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:8
Eliud Kipchoge made national headlines Sunday when he won the London Marathon in a blazing fast time of 2:04:17. As impressive as that was though, there was, in my opinion, another winner in this iconic 26.2 mile race - a man who made very few headlines and received no medal. Using a ReWalk exoskeleton suit, Simon Kinleysides became the first paralyzed man to walk the London Marathon, crossing the finish line 36 hours after he started. But because he completed the race a day late, he wasn't eligible to receive a medal. He didn't mind though. You see, he didn't do it to garner any prize. Simon did it to raise money for The Brain Tumor Charity and so counted the race as a success.
And you know, as this story shows, not all hard work is honored with awards or accolades. The apostle Paul certainly understood that. In his steadfast and loyal service to the Lord, he had worked tirelessly and tenaciously to win the lost to Christ. He had faithfully endured persecution, imprisonment and beatings, not receiving nor expecting to receive any earthly recognition or badges. You see, Paul knew that mans’ praise and the worlds’ medals meant nothing - and that the ultimate prize, the "crown of righteousness," was what mattered and what would be waiting for him in heaven. "And the prize," he wrote, was not just for him "but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing."
So while Paul wrote those words to encourage Timothy to stay faithful and keep fighting, they should inspire and encourage us to do the same. Because no matter what difficulties you and I might be facing in our Christian walk today, you can bet that if we keep pressing on to the finish line, we will be given a "crown" of infinite value.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that serving You will not always be easy. We will face hard times, trials and discouragement in our walk with you. Please continue to remind us that if we stay faithful, our hard work will one day be rewarded. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Faithful - Ryan Stevenson
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