Go for the Gold

My seventh- and eighth-grade Sunday school teacher, Mr. Davis, loved to impress upon us the need to have a goal in life. For some reason he always mispronounced the word "goal," sticking a "d" at the end, so that what he said and what he meant weren't quite the same thing. We giggly adolescents could barely contain our mirth as we nodded in wholehearted agreement. Who wouldn't want a "gold" in life?

That was decades ago, and as far as gold goes, I haven't got much to show for all those years. Just a wedding band and a lot of golden memories; no medals, no trophies, no "bling." And as I research writing awards for these monthly posts, I find myself contemplating Mr. Davis's wise but ill-worded advice.

All of us wear multiple hats, and we have goals for each role as a spouse, parent, and grandparent; somebody's child, sister, or brother; employee, student, teacher, or all three. As a Novel Journey reader, you're also probably a writer. What, then, should be our goal as a writer?

More specifically, what should be our goal as Christian writers? The Apostle Paul, the single most influential "Christian writer" the world has ever seen, proclaimed his overriding desire to exchange all his worldly hats for a crown.

Before we go any further, let me point out the difference between the kingly prize Paul talked about, and our eternal salvation in Christ Jesus. As the scriptures make abundantly clear, our salvation is the free gift of God, not a reward we achieve by our efforts. When Paul writes about striving for a prize, he's not talking about winning a ticket to heaven. For that unattainable goal, God gives us free admission at His Own expense according to His unfathomable grace. Though the prizes we run for are bestowed in heaven, they are not the means of entering there.

In I Corinthians 9:25, Paul points the reader to the circlet of laurels an athlete might wear as a symbol of honor for winning a contest. He calls this a "corruptible crown," in contrast to the imperishable prize we strive for. And just as an athlete might medal in more than one event, so can the Christian. In II Timothy 4:8, Paul talks about the crown of righteousness, which is given to all who look forward to Christ's return with longing. James 1:12 mentions the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to all that love Him faithfully. (Christ speaks of this same crown in Revelations 2:10.) And I Peter 5:4 tells us about a crown of glory that never fades, which will be given to faithful shepherds of local congregations. (Is that what Paul had in mind when he called the church at Philippi "my joy and crown", in Philippians 4:1?)

Unlike the gift of salvation, these crowns can be lost. In Revelation 3:11, John recorded Christ's admonition to "hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." And in I Corinthians 3, Paul warned that believers can work hard and create many impressive things in their lifetimes, but only what is built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ will count for anything in the final analysis.

Every writer must continually improve his skills and learn from those who know the craft. She must be willing to grow, and to change, and to heed the advice of others with more experience. Christian writers, however, have an additional responsibility. As ambassadors of our Lord and His Kingdom, we must never lose sight of who we are and why we write. We are to build upon the foundation of Christ Jesus that's already been laid, using the precious materials He's given us, so that what we create might draw our readers Godward.

Let's not worry about our picture on a dust jacket, our name on a list of award winners or a framed certificate on the wall. Let's just love the Lord faithfully in this and every other aspect of our lives, and let Him take our writing wherever He wants it to go.