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Expect God's Reward
“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33
To get the most out of
life, you must live your life for something bigger
than yourself. Every man needs a transcendent cause
to live for. Expecting God’s reward is our
transcendent cause. Expecting God’s reward means
that we do not seek the rewards of the culture or
society in which we live. Rather we choose to seek
His kingdom and His righteousness. We work to earn
eternal rewards, living for the kingdom of God
rather than for the kingdom of this world. It is
about living today for the day that we will stand
before the Judgment Seat of God. On that day we will
be judged by God for what we have done with our
lives (1 Cor 3:10-15) and with the resources God has
given us during our lives (Matt 25:14-30). It is not
that we will be judged regarding salvation, for that
has been accomplished in Christ. But we will be
judged regarding rewards. And we must live each day
with this end in mind.
The power to persevere lies
in knowing this truth. By remembering that we will
all stand before Him one day and give account for
our lives, it can help us to endure tribulation,
resist temptation and make godly choices. By living
for eternal rewards rather than for personal or
temporal rewards, you will guard yourself from the
worries of this world and the deceitfulness of
riches (Mark 4:18-19). You will avoid the love of
money (1 Tim 6:10). Your life will be truly
rewarding, and you will look back over your life
when you get to the end and be pleased.
The book of
Ecclesiastes lays out the futility of a life lived
for the things of this world. Solomon had it all –
he was the richest man to ever live; he had hundreds
of wives and hundreds of concubines; he had all of
the best toys of his day; and what was his
conclusion? Vanity of vanities, all is vanity and
striving after the wind (Eccl 1:2, 14). Jesus asked
“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world
yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). It is better to
work for the food which does not perish, to work for
the rewards that last forever, that do not rust and
cannot be stolen. I encourage you to live your life
for God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, expecting
God’s reward. Live for ‘The Day’.
Next
"Choose you this day whom you will
serve.....but as for me and my house, we will serve
the LORD."
Joshua 24:15