This week, all over the country, students are graduating. We just got back from Texas watching my brother graduate from college. I, myself, will be graduating next week with my Masters in Bible. Graduation is an exciting time for students who have put lots of work in. It’s the moment where our achievements are realized and honored.

Sadly, many people never make it to their spiritual graduation. In fact, many people never even enroll in school (so to speak). There are some who will never receive their crown in heaven because they never became Christians. But worse than those are the ones who think they’re graduating but never walk the stage. There are many who drop out of the faith before making it to their spiritual graduation. These will not receive their crown of glory. There are many who get all the way to the end, and “senior-itis” takes over, and they fail their final classes. Many Christians get lazy in their faith just before they reach their reward and thus miss out on it.

My encouragement to you to walk the spiritual stage and get your unfading crown of glory - to graduate (so to speak). Don’t give up before you graduate. The Christian walk is a marathon with ups and downs that require endurance and discipline and faith from start to finish. Don’t give up too soon. Don’t get lazy towards the end. Don’t fail the final classes.

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

-Kolton Ballance