And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
2 Timothy 2:2-5
In the 2024 Paralympic Games, Spanish runner Elena Congost was in great shape to win the bronze medal in the T12 women's marathon. She had a three minute lead over the fourth place runner. Congost, who is legally blind, was guided during the race by Mia Carol using a tether to keep the two runners together. Just before they reached the finish lines, Carol began cramping, and Elena Congost let go of the tether to help her guide. As a result, though they had crossed the finish line in third place, Congost was not awarded the bronze medal. Rule 7.9.3 of the World Para Athletic Rules and Regulations states: “The athlete and their accompanying guide-runner shall retain the tether attachment from the start of the race until the end of the race. No release shall be allowed until after [they have] both reached the vertical plane of the nearer edge of the finish line and finished the race.”
God does not just want us to take any approach to doing His work. He wants us to labor for Him according to His direction and in obedience to His Word. This extends not just to our actions, but to our motives as well. Even the greatest accomplishments in the eyes of the world hold no value in God's eyes if they are not done from a heart that is right. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).
Today's Growth PrincipleDoing the right things for the right reasons keeps us from losing the promised reward.
Comments