The roar of a standing ovation is music to our ears.
It means we’re loved. The moment is ours. We’ve achieved success, and in the very best way possible.
We’re on the top tier of the winner’s podium, and no one can look down on us.
The back story is all the work it takes to get there. Swimming legend Mark Phelps didn’t win Olympic gold medal after Olympic gold medal by sitting around watching TV all day. He trained long hours in the water to achieve his phenomenal success.
1 Corinthians 9:24 sets our standard high.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”
We are to strive for Christ as if we are the only one who will be entering heaven. We must be better, more accomplished, more successful at living like Jesus if we want heaven to be ours.
Will we be the only one entering the pearly gates? Of course not. The lesson is that we can never afford to relax our standards. We can’t say, “Well, I was a good Christian last year. God will remember.”
We tout Mark Phelps’ previous gold medals as a mark of his skill, but during each set of Games, he had to prove himself over again.
Our Christian walk is judged on today’s accomplishments, not where we were once upon a time.
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