WHAT DOES APPLE PIE AND THE OLYMPICS HAVE IN COMMON

The other day, my husband, Joe, went to the grocery store to buy a couple of things for supper. He likes going to the store since that means he gets to decide what we eat that night. When he came home, I helped him carry in the groceries and started putting them away. He went back for the last load, and when I turned around to see what he had brought in, he sat a HUGE apple pie down on the counter.

This pie had a lattice top with crystalized sugar sprinkled all over the top. You could see the apple slices through the topping, and it had plenty of cinnamon in the mixture. Joe immediately got himself a piece and pronounced it as one of the best pies he had ever tasted.

I love pie! Apple, cherry, pecan, chocolate, coconut cream are just a few of my favorites. The filling oF the pie is yummy, but I think it is the crust I love the most. Joe will eat a slice of pie, and he always leaves the fluted crust. You know that is an open invitation for me to come behind him and eat the sliver of goodness.

The pie only lasted a few days since neither of us could resist taking a bite or two or three every time we walked into the kitchen. I tried hiding it from our sight in the hopes that it would become “out of sight, out of mind.” That strategy didn’t work, so I finally gave up and decided to enjoy the pie while it lasted.

Self-control and discipline are not things that come easy. We all find ways to justify our lack of self-control, just like I gave up and decided to enjoy the pie. When Joe and I were sick a couple of weeks ago, comfort food was what we craved. We didn’t feel good, so our brains told us that eating food that gave us comfort would make us feel better. The food didn’t make us feel better, but that was how I justified eating anything and everything that I wanted.

This week, the Olympics began, and elite athletes from all over the world will be competing for medals. Each of these athletes has something in common: self-control and discipline. They have put in countless hours of training and follow a strict diet, sleep regimen, and lack of social life that allows them to compete at this high level. All of their focus is on the prize and winning. They will receive a Gold Medal, bragging rights, and endorsement deals worth millions of dollars if they win.

1 Corinthians 9:25

²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

In the verse above, Paul talked about the “games” that were held at that time, similar to our Olympics. The athletes trained and competed, and the winner went home with a crown. I’ve read that the crown was similar to celery stalks woven together, so bragging rights must have been the real prize. When Paul says that the crown would not last, he isn’t kidding. The honor of winning the race would only ask a short time until it was time to compete again the following year.

Paul also eludes to a crown that will last forever. As Christians, if we practice self-control and discipline, our crown will never die and will be forever. Eternal life is not the crown that we win since Jesus earned that for us when we accept Jesus into our heart as our Savior. Instead, we can gain a rewarding and fulfilled life with Jesus and the Holy Spirit at our side. For me, an example of self-control might be in reading the Bible before I look at social media. Discipline could be making sure that I set aside time daily to be with the Lord.

Isaiah 35:10

¹⁰     and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

The more self-control and discipline I have in my spiritual life, the more rewarding and abundant my life will be here on earth. Pie will only end up on my hips, medals will tarnish, bragging rights will only last so long, but a life with Jesus is a crown that will last forever.

To God Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!