‘Your labour is not in vain.’ 1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV
It’s easy to forget that this world isn’t your home, that you’re going to spend eternity with Christ in a home specially prepared for you, and that when you get to Heaven you’ll be rewarded for how well you fulfilled your God-given assignment here on earth. The Bible not only teaches this, it spells out the specifics. Here are three you need to keep in mind.
(1) Your greatest reward will be in Heaven, not on earth. Yes, there are earthly rewards (see Mark 10:30), but God reserves His greatest blessings for the day when ‘each man’s work will become evident’ and ‘he will receive a reward.’ (1 Corinthians 3:13–14 NASB) It’s your service now that determines your status then, so always give God your best.
(2) Your reward will be based on quality, not quantity. We are impressed with size and status, but God is moved by sincerity. When He rewards you it will be based on what you did with what you had, and the ‘heart’ you put into it. That means we all have equal opportunity when it comes to rewards.
(3) Your reward may be delayed, but it will never be denied. Think about that. When you’ve done what was needed yet you were ignored and misunderstood, remember, ‘Your labour is not in vain.’ When you’ve done the right thing but received neither credit nor acknowledgment, remember, ‘‘Your labour is not in vain.’ When you’ve served, given, and sacrificed, then willingly stepped aside so God would get all the glory, remember, ‘Your labour is not in vain.’
In the words of Jesus: ‘Your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.’ (Matthew 6:4 NLT)
SoulFood: 2 Ki 4:42–44, Mark 6:30–44
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©