We will be rewarded for what we have done

​Throughout the year, I like to read through the book of Revelation 3 or 4 times. As I was wrapping up my month of reading Revelation recently, I read Revelation 22 and landed on verse 12 for my meditation.  “Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done”.  I will give to everyone according to what he has done.  That causes me think.  That causes me to evaluate what I value, what I believe, and what I am doing.

Leonard Ravenhill, a revivalist, once wrote, “Five minutes inside eternity and we will wish that we had sacrificed more, wept more, grieved more, loved and prayed more, and given more.”

The moment we step into eternity, we will see the unveiled glory of God, the fullness of the beauty of Jesus, the immensity of the grace that was poured out on us, the massive debt that was paid on our behalf, the endless splendor of the world to come and the horrors of judgment that we have escaped. At that very moment, just “five minutes inside eternity,” we will wish that we had been more devoted to the Lord. Eternity is everything.

While our faith determines our eternal destination, our behavior determines our eternal rewards (Jesus will give us according to what we have done). Jesus calls each of us to overcome hardships; to persevere and to remain steadfast. Jesus desires that we live for another age, not being pulled by the culture of the present, but to stay hopeful for the life to come.

2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” There are many verses throughout the new testament that point to you and I receiving a reward based on how we live on the earth.  In the sermon on the mount, Jesus tells His listeners that we will stockpile treasures somewhere. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”, Matthew 6:21. 

2 John 8 exhorts us, “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded.” We are to pay attention to how we live. 

Today, I want to encourage us in three areas, so we may be fully rewarded! Jonathan Edwards prayed for himself, asking God to “stamp eternity on my eyes”.  What do we need to do to help us to overcome and live life to the fullest here to make a difference in the next life? Like Jonathan Edwards, ask God to stamp eternity on your eyes. 

1. Stay steady through the years.  The mundaneness and routine of life can cause us to settle, compromise and become apathetic.  Most of life is routine.  Cultivate daily time to connect with God, so your heart stays yielded and yoked to Jesus. The more we spend time with Him, the more His values become our values, His dreams become our dreams. Meditate on the truths of God’s Word, seeking the Lord with holy desperation. We only get to believe without seeing for one time in history, our years on earth.  Stay faithful and full of belief.  There is a day coming soon where your faith will be made sight.
2. Stay focused. The trials and difficulties of life can cause us to shrink back and get offended.  We need to choose to stay unoffended by Jesus, no matter what we experience. Do not lose heart. Do not give up in the “off seasons”. It’s in these seasons that people “quit” because they feel the pressure; there is nothing in “bloom” and it feels like nothing is happening.  
3. Stay anchored in eternity.  The temptation, pleasure, seduction of this culture attracts our attention. Walk in obedience to God, consistently reaching for maturity. Keep eternity in your gaze. John Wesley said, “I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.” 

 
Live for another age!  There is more than this life has to offer. Stay steady, stay focused and stay anchored in eternity!

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