Tom Cruise has built his film career on a megawatt smile . . . and incredible stunts. The signature stunt in the seventh Mission: Impossible spy action film featured Cruise riding a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting to safety.

In other Mission: Impossible films, he’s hung off an airplane, held his breath underwater for more than six minutes, and performed high-altitude jumps. We might call him crazy. But Cruise’s commitment—for the sake of telling the best cinematic story—is remarkable.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul identified another group whose training demanded everything of them: competitive athletes. He praised their discipline: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (v. 25). He said they were compelled by temporal glory—“to get a crown that will not last”—while believers in Jesus are compelled by a calling with eternal value: “to get a crown that will last forever” (v. 25).

Are we as committed to our faith as a disciplined athlete—or a famous actor—might be? “Run in such a way as to get the prize,” Paul said (v. 24). Because of God’s grace, we will receive the crown of life as sons and daughters of the King. That changes everything about how we spend our days here.