The Eternal Prize

As a member of the sports media, I hear quite a few stories about athletes who build their entire lives around their sport. They eat, sleep, breathe and live specifically to achieve their personal athletic goals. It consumes so much of their mind that they don’t focus on anything else.

But then something unexpected happens. It could be a variety of things: injury, illness, or whatever. Suddenly, they are stripped of the sport that had occupied so much of their time and energy. And when it’s gone, they’re left with nothing. Complete emptiness.

It is at this point that many athletes realize they need something more—something that can’t be found in trophies or medals, something that is eternal. And this is exactly where God wants them.

God has brought them to that point for them to realize their need for Him and to show them that the things of this world are temporary. And that includes sports. Nothing will last forever except the crown of life that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is your motivation for competing? Are your goals centered around record books, championships or trophies? Or are your sights set on a prize of more lasting value? Today, make sure that the most important race you are running is the one that offers the prize of eternity. Run to “get a crown that will last forever.”