James 1:12 ESV    Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

My son-in-law recently posted on FB: “Does anyone else think kindergarten graduations are ridiculous?”

He received several responses pro and con. I refuse to enter the fray, since I never graduated from kindergarten. And for the record, it was because I never attended kindergarten. LOL!

I think that the point he was trying to make is a valid one. In our culture, we don’t want to harm the psyche of any impressionable person and make them feel inferior. So we award every little thing they do. We award those who show up, who participate, as well as those who win the competition. The problem is this: if the award is not earned, if effort, energy and endurance are not represented by it, then awards become meaningless, since they represent only minimal effort expended. This not only cheapens the award presented to the winners, whose effort and endurance are rewarded; it also reduces the desire to strive for the award, since all will receive one regardless of the outcome.

If I had a kindergarten diploma, I might give a nostalgic glance back to it and try to remember something about that experience, but it would not compare to my bachelor’s degree diploma. Now that I remember well, because it represented four years of blood, sweat, and tears (only my wife witnessed the tears!). And that doesn’t compare to the four years I spent earning a Master’s degree. Yes, a potentially year-long program can be stretched into four, if one works full-time, pastors a church, and tries to maintain a home with 3-4 children and a wife. The 60-page paper I prepared on Interpretive Outlines on the Book of Revelation, which had do be written twice, since a power outage caused the first draft to be vaporized in the wordprocessor, was a project that left a lasting impression, even if it left me harboring lingering questions about that book.

The more challenging the goal, the more we invest in the effort, the more we will appreciate the award. If it is just given to anyone for anything, it will be less appreciated, for it represents less, and for some, possibly nothing.

There is a reward for the person who remains steadfast under trial. Life is challenging, and the trials of life seem overwhelming at times. We have all been tempted to give up. I know I have. I can still hear my dad’s voice: “Winners never quit and quitters never win!” I wanted to give up at several points in my four years of college. And I REALLY wanted to give up during my four years in my master’s program. I have wanted to give up, at times, on marriage, have quit most jobs I have pursued at least once or twice a month (in my mind anyway, even though I kept on working), and have even been tempted to leave the church and my faith. I gladly rejoice that I listened to those words from my dad and rehearsed them in my mind. I haven’t quit and I’m glad I didn’t. All the blessings I have experienced in life came AFTER the endurance of challenging times not BEFORE.

God’s award ceremony comes at the end, when those who have stood the test will receive recognition. James says that they will receive the “crown of life.” Now, as my ESV Study Bible explains, this is not a bejeweled crown of a ruler; it is the laurel wreath of victory given to the winners in athletic games and victorious emperors. God has promised this crown to “those who love him.” Our love for Him, our service for Him, our faithfulness to follow Him, will be rewarded. When we are in the middle of one of the storms of life and we feel our resolve to stand firm dissipating, we need to remember what we are striving for, what awaits us at the end, what should motivate our endurance. Keep your eye on the prize and hold on a little longer. You can do this, you can make it, He will help you. The words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” will be reward enough for me. What about you?

Revelation 2:10    Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.