Keep Going - It’s TOTALLY Worth It!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we're never promised that this life will always be easy. Sometimes we go through periods of suffering or when our faith is tested. How is it tested? When we go through difficult circumstances in life, we can be tempted to question God's character or the promises He has made to us. If we continue to entertain those temptations, the ultimate goal of the enemy is to cause us to give up completely.

The Scriptures promise us blessings if we persevere under trial or testing. James 1:12 tells us that we will receive a crown of life. But what does it mean to receive a crown of life?

When we think of crowns today, we think of royal crowns like what members of the royal family wear. These crowns symbolise their position of authority in society. However, crowns in ancient times were also given as a prize. For example, in the ancient Olympics, athletes competed for the 'ultimate prize', a crown of olive leaves woven from a sacred tree located near the temple of Zeus in Olympia.

This crown did not mean they were kings or queens in the way that we think of it today, but it meant they were receiving the honour due to them for completing the challenge of winning the race or event they were competing in.

You and I are also competing in an event - it's called life. Fortunately, we don't have to do it alone. We have God with us every step of the way and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead, teach and guide us. We also have promises made by God to us; some of which are promises for this life, and others are eternal promises.

I know for me that when I face hard times, I can be tempted to lose sight of these things. However, the victory comes when we persevere in spite of the challenges, believing God is still who He says He is, and that we have incredible promises to hold on to. If you and I do that, we are promised the prize of a crown of life. This is something that is hard for us to comprehend now, but it is something that we can take great comfort in knowing that it will be greater than we can ever imagine.

If that is you right now, I hope and pray that you can take comfort in the same thing. Keep going - there is a great crown waiting for you!