The Bible references the five heavenly crowns, the Crown of Life, the Incorruptible Crown, the Crown of Righteousness, the Crown of Glory and Crown of Exultation. All of which promise a reward of successful passage to heaven for unswayed believers of Jesus. I choose to interpret the bible from a survivors point of view, giving my faith to God directly and not necessarily believing that we go to heaven but that we sit with our choices to come back hopefully as a far more evolved soul in our next lives.
The Crown of Life’s ideology in particular, draws to me as it focuses on perseverance:
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”~ (James 1:12).
I believe in living in intention and accountability. When our final day comes on this earth, I would hope that our imprint is the one thing that we can be at peace with as we take our last breath in the human body. For me, temptation translates to the opportunities to overcome situations that do not serve us. Opportunities can make us stronger and to create spaces to be more compassionate through humility and service to others.