By Al Behel
“Every athlete exercises self-control…They do it to
receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable
one…” (I Cor. 9:25)
John “Pepper” Martin played for the St. Louis Cardinals and
was the star of the 1931 World Series. Following one of those
games Pepper was interviewed by a newsman. The first question
he was asked was, “Pepper, what’s your chief ambition?”
Without hesitating Pepper responded, “My chief ambition is to
go to heaven.”
The newsman who interviewed Pepper Martin laughed at his
response and said rather sarcastically, “Oh, you want to play a
harp, eh?” Martin shot back at him, “My friend, I don’t think that
is funny. I know you don’t mean to be a smart aleck, but there’s
something wrong with a person’s attitude when he’s flippant
about serious things. If there’s anything foolish about reading
the Bible every day and believing what it says, and if there’s
anything funny about wanting to go to heaven when you leave
this world, then I’m afraid life here isn’t worth living.”
What a goal! To go to heaven. I’ve often asked people, “If you
could go anywhere and do anything, what would you choose?
The responses have been interesting. A common response is, “Td
like to go to Europe, Paris, Or to Greece, etc.”I don’t remember
anyone saying, “Id like to go to heaven.”
The Christian life is like running a race. In the ancient Olympic
games the winner received a perishable wreath ofivy or pine. We
are in a race for an imperishable wreath that will never decay.
We want to go to heaven. Nothing we gain in life in our careers
r accumulate through wealth will be taken into our caskets. Our
friends will not go with us. We will go alone. All earthly treasures
will be left behind. But, we look beyond these temporary trinkets
to an eternal home where we will live for all eternity. In the
words of our hymn, “Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
Via Bulletin Gold