His name is Matt Emmons. He is an American marksman with the rifle. Sunday, he was shooting in the final round of the 50 meter three position rifle competition. He had such a commanding lead, he only needed an average shot with his final shot in order to win the Gold Medal. As he squeezed off the final round, not only did he get close, he scored a bulls eye! As he waited to see his name posted on the scoreboard as the new Olympic Gold Medalist, he was shocked to see that he was given a score of zero, and instead of winning the Gold Medal, he was in eighth position.

The reason? He had shot at the wrong target! Though he had hit the bulls eye, he had hit the target in the wrong lane. How disappointing and frustrating this must be for this young man.

But wait, he’s not alone. His mistake is a common one. Not a day goes by when people aren’t taking careful aim at the wrong target. I think it could be said that nearly all of us wish to find fulfillment and happiness in life. I think that most of us wish to avoid Hell and live with God in Heaven. On the surface, that sounds great, but the problem is that we are aiming at the wrong targets. We’re taking aim at things that do not deliver our heart’s desires.

Today, I feel badly for Matt Emmons. He worked so hard. He was so skilled. He had such desire. But he aimed at the wrong target and missed his Gold Medal. However, as badly as I feel for this young man, I feel worse for those people who want to serve the Lord. They want to go to Heaven. They work so hard in their service to him, only to find out that they had aimed at the wrong target and have missed out on the Crown of Life!