We’ll face temptations constantly, but they’re not meant to bring us down—they’re opportunities for us to grow stronger. We need to accept that the harder our struggles, the greater the rewards and honor we can achieve!

 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. 

~ 1 Corinthians 9:24

What is the real prize in life? It is getting into Heaven! That is what we need to focus on! Yes, we’ll face temptations constantly in life, but they’re not meant to bring us down—they’re opportunities for us to grow stronger. We need to accept that the harder our struggles, the greater the rewards and honor we can achieve from the Lord!  We can work hard all our lives, today some of us have even more challenges, as so few want to look at merit, they make things like DEI, CRT, and woke ideology more important than merit and hard work or achievement. All each of us can do is our best. We need to know what is our main priority, God and following Jesus to get into Heaven. Yes, we will have challenges and setbacks, but with perseverance, we can win the race and get into life eternal in Heaven with Jesus if we follow, reflect, imitate, and love like Him! 

The Mornings With God App today said, "Christian life isn’t meant to be easy. There’s a cost for any success we want to achieve. A student who wants to earn honors must work hard for them. In ancient times, athletes trained rigorously to prepare for competitions, ensuring their bodies were strong enough for the challenges ahead. Paul wasn’t giving advice for athletes, but using these contests to illustrate what Christians must do. We’ll face temptations constantly, but they’re not meant to bring us down—they’re opportunities for us to grow stronger. We need to accept that the harder our struggles, the greater the rewards and honor we can achieve. And no temptation will come our way that’s too much for us to handle—God will always help us overcome it." Found at: https://www.youdevotion.com/mornings/july/18

I love reading the Bible and also the Mornings with God App each day. I love all the Bible verses, write-ups, and prayers, along with many great quotes and ways to live best. We all need to know as humans that we will all have setbacks and challenges, but when we focus on God, follow Jesus, and know what are #1 priority is, getting into Heaven, then all can be make a lot easier to stay on the right track even with difficulties. Sometimes challenges make us stronger, better people. Sometimes we have to learn lessons. Even some people teach us lessons or what not to do. I have worked hard all my life. I was blessed with wonderful parents and upbringing in the country in Upstate New York. I lived next to a dairy farm and worked there starting at the age of 13. I worked for several years, it made me strong and taught me a lot, to love cows, and to become who I am. I was blessed to work at Howard Johnson's for several years, they wanted me to be a manager there and I went through their program and did that for a short time, but always wanted to be a teacher, so continued to work part time to go to college to study. I became a teacher in 1987, I just retired in December after 38 years as an educator, 28.5 at my university. It was all a blessing. I had so many wonderful students, won many teaching awards, published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, and always had great evaluations. I made to full professor. Now someone nominated me for Professor Emeritus. While nice, I know what my main priority has always been, to get into Heaven to spend eternity with Jesus! I am in the race for that, and only that. While my merit speaks for itself, today with the woke world, DEI, CRT, and all the crazy ideology, no one wants to consider merit any more. I cannot live for the approval of humans, I need to live for the approval of God and do His will, following Jesus, trying my best to imitate, reflect, and love like Him, working toward my goal of Heaven which is the most important goal I could ever have!  Heaven will be my greatest prize!