THE PRIZE IS GREATER THAN THE PRICE
‘looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ Hebrews 12:2
When I was a kid my dad used to tell me, “son, the prize is always greater than the price.” It’s a big statement and one that has held true to this day. We all can imagine the prize of winning. Maybe it’s a job promotion, your business starts booming or your investments catch a good run.
Maybe you’re like me and you imagine what that lifestyle would look like. I know for sure my holidays would look a little different.
Sometimes I imagine the goal of completing a hundred mile bike ride. I imagine it and then I quickly block it out. That’s crazy! Why would I want to do that? I mean, I would, but damn — that’s a lot of work! I’m not ready for that goal.
What about the goal of being the best parent ever? I’m not sure what being an awesome dad would look like, but from time to time, I catch myself making sure I capitalize on “moments.”
Like for instance, the other day we went to the beach. It was mostly cloudy so I wasn’t too keen on getting in the ice cold Pacific Ocean. If you’ve ever been to Southern California, you know how cold the water is.
However, as the day progressed and we were almost about to leave and go home, I spotted a couple boogie boards. I’m from the Midwest and boogie boards are totally foreign for me. I don’t even think I got on a boogie board till I was in my 20’s. But anyway, I found a couple nearby and pitched the idea to Roscoe (my son).
I said, “Roscoe, how about we smash some waves, just you and me?” He was totally into it. So, we grabbed our boards and ran toward the ocean. My boogie board skills are less than mediocre but in my mind, I imagined I was taking on ten foot waves.
As we inched into the water, I shrieked, “dang that’s cold!” It was most certainly cold, but in my mind I saw this magic moment of Father and Son in the ocean. We forged into the freezing water and tackled some waves.
Roscoe was about to get out because he hadn’t caught a good wave yet. But then he came back to me and said, “dad, can I do one more?” My response was, “absolutely, go for it!”
Roscoe and I jumped back in the water, waited for a wave and he caught a good one. He surfed back into shore with the biggest smile on his face while he yelled, “I did it Dad, I did it!”
Prize much greater than reward I said. I smiled from ear to ear. That moment was sealed and I’m thankful for it.
Before we head into our day today, Jesus had that same mindset about us. He saw the prize of salvation, counted the cost and still made it happen. He endured the pain and agony of living as a human. He felt what we felt, heard what we heard and yet responded with saving our life.
That’s a moment we can all celebrate, everyday, all day. Now, let’s go and create more moments like that. The prize truly is greater than the price.
