Laboring for the Prize
August 18, 2019 by Carin LeRoy
Filed under Daily Devotions, Life Topics
By Carin LeRoy –
I dread going to a dentist. There isn’t much in life that gives me more stress. Recently, I spent the morning in the dentist chair. When the doctor arrived to see me, the first thing I see is a needle aimed at my mouth. Closing my eyes, I mentally braced myself as several shots of Novocain were injected into my gums. Soon, I hardly felt my nose, so my only comfort at this point was that maybe I wouldn’t feel what would come next.
Then the grinding starts—lots of it—as he removes the upper part of my decayed tooth. Bits of dust fly everywhere as he works. My hands grip the chair and my body tenses as I lay there mouth open and unable to swallow. Neither do I find the short episodes of squirting water and suction any reprieve from all the grinding. It’s all just misery for me. After two hours, I emerge with an empty wallet and a newly crowned tooth.
Some things in life must be endured in order to gain something better. Laboring through birth to cuddle your newborn; Sitting in a 2×3 foot spot for endless hours in order to get to a vacation destination; raising a challenging teenager in order to make them a responsible adult; going through years of classes, papers and exams to obtain your degree. Many things in life require work, time and diligence in order to receive the desired reward that awaits us at the end.
Life has it’s hard times. We have challenges, pain, misfortune, death, sickness and debt. Many things bring difficulties into our life. But in the end of it all, if we believe in Christ who died for us, we have a wonderful “prize” that awaits us—eternity in heaven with a Savior that loves us. Let’s fix our eyes on eternity as we endure the struggles of this life. This life is temporary, but heaven is forever. Whatever you are dealing with today hang in there, because heaven waits!
PRAYER: Lord, give me strength as I face life’s challenges today and give me a heart that will focus on You. Keep me mindful that the struggles of this life are temporary and that You will walk with me through them until we meet in heaven.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).
Today's devotional is by Carin LeRoy, wife to Dale and mother of three grown children and one almost-grown teenager. She has been a missionary with Pioneers since 1982. Her passions are family, missions, piano, and writing to challenge others to live faithful lives for God.