In 1 Corinthians 9:25, the apostle Paul writes, “Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV). Here, Paul compares rigorous athletic training with the self-control required for Christian living. Athletes train to receive a “perishable crown,” but Christians train to receive an “imperishable crown”—one that endures forever.