DURING the last few months we have been inundated by the media with so much about the athletes at the Olypmic and Para Olympic Games – with the sacrafices they have had to make; the extreme effort they have needed to put into their training and all for the joy of a metal medal.
How many of them were sent off with the great expectations (of the media) that they would return with a medal, and so many of them did not come up to the expectations imposed on them.
However, the 50 or so medals that were brought back to Australia are in many ways only short lived.
Eventually they could decay.
In the past, some athletes have even sold their medals.
There has to be a better prize for a race. There is.
St Paul says, “ Everyone who competes in teh games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV))
We need to remember that there are other races in life.
God’s word says that we are not to run or live without making wise use of our time in His name.
Each of us only has so many years, days and minutes.
Each minute that God gives us is a gift that is to be used for Him and His purposes. We are there to make wise use of our time and run the race with purpose because there is in store the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award on that day. (2 Timothy 4:8)
