A Dusty Trophy Case
Adam Currence
Every school has one. The big and dusty trophy case filled with relics and records of the achievements of past generations of students and athletes. Sometimes this display is featured in a prominent place just as you walk in a school; other times it is tucked away in a random hallway, barely noticed by students that pass by.
I’ve often wondered: do people look at those trophies? Does anyone notice the names stamped on the plates? I don’t want to diminish the achievements of the individuals who have won trophies. Certainly it feels amazing to win a tournament or a championship. One should be proud of that achievement. But what about 10 years from now? 20 years? 50 years? Will anyone remember?
Let’s carry this thought further. Who was the Heisman Trophy winner in college football in 1976? 1986? 1996? Who won the Super Bowl in 1981? What was the name of the starting quarterback (maybe someone reading will know)? Who coached your favorite team in 1989? What was the #1 movie in the summer of 1998? What was the #1 song or artist in the year 2005?
Time will eventually diminish and fade even the greatest of triumphs. How are you investing your time: collecting trophies on this earth or storing up your reward in Heaven? Listen to the last words of advice a Godly king gave his son in 1 Chronicles 28:9:
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”
Know God. Serve Him with a loyal heart and willing mind. Seek Him. Do not forsake Him. Imagine all the advice David could have given: military strategies, tips on leading a kingdom, how to deal with political conflict….but instead his advice centered around seeking God.
As we know, Solomon became one of the richest men ever to live. In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon details his search for happiness on this earth without God. One passage you can read is in 2:4-11 and verses 17-19. Do you know what Solomon’s conclusion was about trying to find happiness without God? Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!
We might could say, “It’s all just a dusty trophy case.”
Are you laboring on this earth simply gathering up trophies in your trophy case, or are you laboring for that single crown of righteousness that God will reward to those who seek Him?