The Crown

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
(Rev 3:11)

In the prior verse Jesus commends the church for keeping the Word of His patience. The word of His patience is the word that teaches us patience endurance. Not falling apart at the face of temptations (adversity) but He has a promise in store for the overcomer. Holding fast requires action on our behalf in this most holy faith.

To those who overcome He will make us a pillar in the temple (Rev 3:12). Pillars are important as they form the very thing that holds the structure together. Samson pushed the pillars of the temple of the Philistines and the whole temple collapse and scored his greatest victory over Israel’s enemy. Therefore pillars do play a very important role and God’s wants us to be a pillar, to be part of His eternal will and purposes. The temple Solomon built had two pillars named Boaz (‘in strength’, Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary) and Jachin (He will establish) that held the whole structure together. The promise to the overcomer is that God will establish us and put within us His strength. When God establish us we have sure foundation is in Christ that gives us a hope and a future. 2Ch 16:9a ‘For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him….’.

Paul beckons us to run the race (1 Cor 9:24) and to run with the prize in mind. For us it would be the crown of life (James 1:12). We don't run the race to complete the race only, but that we win for the crown. In life if we aim to complete what we set out to do, then we might lose the final aim: The crown.

For example if we aim to complete our job, then it's half done. Our goal is to please whom we are doing he task for and please our Lord Christ for we ultimately serve Him in all things (Col 3:23,24). This will certainly make a difference on our attitude towards our work.

So don't just aim for the finish line tape.

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
(Pro 17:6)
As with families, aim for posterity (not prosperity). Same as whatever ministry we serve in. We aim for the next generation and the generation after. As God proclaims Himself as God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob….having the same Godly mind to see beyond the finish line tape…. See and aim at the crown beyond. We are blessed today because of Abraham. For Abraham looked for something beyond human eyes can comprehend, it was an eternal crown. So did the rest of the men and women of faith (Heb 11:13, 16), desiring the ‘better’ and wouldn’t settle for the good. For the good can be enemy of the better. The better carries a sense of eternity, the good is settling down for the ‘now’.

God will crown us with many things as we aim to please God, but the ultimate is still the crown of Eternal Life.

My pastor recently challenged the church on what are the goals we want to achieve. And after some thought this is what I came up with, beyond crossing the final timeline of my physical being:

1) To finally hear Jesus say 'Well done My good and faithful servant, welcome into My rest'
2) That my family will go along with me to Heaven!