Yesterday, I wrote that increasing earthquakes are a sign of Jesus’ return. Even as I did so, I was aware that not everyone is longing for Him. Personally, I am tired of the suffering, the lawlessness, and the evil in the world. I long for His return. Did you know that Jesus promises a special crown to those who love, or long for, His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8 NIV)?
So, what would keep someone from longing for the return of the Lord? What quenches that appetite? Could it be a longing for the things in the world (1 John 2:15)? Though my generation is not exempt from such longings, it is generally the younger generation that is especially vulnerable because they don’t want to consider the likelihood they won’t have their opportunity to live a full and happy life.
This “you can have it all” promise is one of Satan’s most effective strategies to quench people’s longing for God, distracting them from the things that are really worth going after. When we truly see that the world is passing away and we are just passing through it (1 John 2:171 Peter 1:17), and the more we see ourselves as "aliens and strangers” in it (Eph. 2:19), the greater will be our longing for His return. Why would you want to stay here when there is "something so much better waiting for you" (Heb. 10:34).
Showing posts with label imperishable crown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label imperishable crown. Show all posts
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Monday, February 15, 2010
Are the Olympic Games Inspiring You?
Did you watch any of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver this weekend? As I watched, I kept thinking what a learning moment this is. Twice in his writings, Paul uses the metaphor of an athlete to illustrate the severity of a disciple’s walk.
In his first letter to the Corinthians (9:25) Paul compares Christians to those who participated in the “games”—a reference to the Isthmian games that were held at Corinth in the off-years of the Olympiad. Like the Olympics, but on a smaller scale, the victor won a wreath of fir. No wonder Paul said those athletes competed to win a “perishable” crown, but we an “imperishable.” Paul emphasizes the need for a strict lifestyle: “everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training.” And in the same way, in his second letter to the Thessalonians (2:5), Paul reiterates the need to abide by strict rules, like an athlete who wants to win the crown, without being disqualified for ‘cheating.’
I encourage you to reflect on Paul’s metaphor as you watch the Olympic Games this and next week. And let their success inspire you to greater discipline in your walk. Their success has not come easily. They have subjected themselves to a strict training schedule, proper nutrition, and self-sacrifice. It seems to me that everything an athlete does goes ‘against the grain’ of our culture of comfort and self pleasing. What a great illustration of what Jesus requires of those who follow Him. Paul says we should be like those Olympic champions who “run to win the prize.”
In his first letter to the Corinthians (9:25) Paul compares Christians to those who participated in the “games”—a reference to the Isthmian games that were held at Corinth in the off-years of the Olympiad. Like the Olympics, but on a smaller scale, the victor won a wreath of fir. No wonder Paul said those athletes competed to win a “perishable” crown, but we an “imperishable.” Paul emphasizes the need for a strict lifestyle: “everyone who enters an athletic contest goes into strict training.” And in the same way, in his second letter to the Thessalonians (2:5), Paul reiterates the need to abide by strict rules, like an athlete who wants to win the crown, without being disqualified for ‘cheating.’
I encourage you to reflect on Paul’s metaphor as you watch the Olympic Games this and next week. And let their success inspire you to greater discipline in your walk. Their success has not come easily. They have subjected themselves to a strict training schedule, proper nutrition, and self-sacrifice. It seems to me that everything an athlete does goes ‘against the grain’ of our culture of comfort and self pleasing. What a great illustration of what Jesus requires of those who follow Him. Paul says we should be like those Olympic champions who “run to win the prize.”
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