A Life God Rewards

Based on "A Life God Rewards" by Bruce Wilkinson and "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren



Do you know that you will be rewarded later for what you do today in this world? There are a lot of scriptures confirming this statement or in other words, Jesus gave some hints that whatever we do now will affect what we will receive later.
Matthew 16:27 says "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."
Matthew 19:21 says "You will have treasure in heaven."
Luke 14:14 says "You will be blessed...for you shall be repaid at the resurrection."

So now that you know this, what are we supposed to do? There are two keys that determine everything about your eternity. The first key is your belief. This key unlocks the door to eternal life and determines where you will spend eternity.
The second key is your behavior. It unlocks the door to reward and determines how you will spend eternity.
Your behavior is the focus of a life that God will reward.

There are six main events of your forever life:
1. Life. You are created in the image of God for a life of purpose.
2. Death. You die physically, but not spiritually.
3. Destination. You reach your destination after death, which is determined by what you believed on earth.
4. Resurrection. You receive a resurrected body.
5. Repayment. You receive you reward or your retribution for eternity based on what you did on earth.
6. Eternity. You will live forever in the presence or absence of God, reaping the consequences of your beliefs and actions on earth.



Jesus said, "When you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." (Luke14:13-14)
Certainly, God blesses us here on earth out of His grace and goodness. God may also give us temporal rewards for right choices or faithful service to Him in the here and now. But the rewards Jesus reveals are different. They are God's guaranteed response to a specific action on our part that will continue to affect our lives far into eternity. These rewards come not from asking, but from doing - and not now, but after death.

Miss these differences and you set yourself up for disappointment. You'll find yourself asking questions like these: I serve God in every way I know how, so why is our family struggling so much financially? Doesn't God notice or care? Well, God does notice and care. But, He doesn't promise that work for Him now will always result in gain from Him now. It will come later, an eternal reward.

The potrait of Life that God rewards:
1. God will reward you for seeking Him through spiritual acts such as fasting and praying.
2. God will reward you for submitting to your employer as a faithful steward.
3. God will reward you for self-denial in His service.
4. God will reward you for serving those in need in His name.
5. God will reward you for suffering for His name and reputation.
6. God will reward you for sacrifices you make for Him.
7. God will reward you for sharing of your time, talent, and treasure to His further kingdom.



These descriptions may have discouraged you because you think you will never ever be that kind of person. However, you can. You serve God by serving others. Mark 10:43 says "Whoever wants to be great must become a servant." Jesus measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you. Even Jesus Himself came to this world to be a servant.

Real servants make themselves available to serve. Real servants pay attention to needs. Real servants do their best with what they have. Real servants do every task with equal dedication. Real servants are faithful to their ministry. Real servants maintain a low profile.

Servants think more about others than about themselves. Paul said "Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand." Servants think like stewards, not owners. Servants think about their work, not what others are doing. Servants base their identity in Christ. Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation. Jesus promised "The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves Me." Paul said, "He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other christians."

Do you think you can change the way you think now that you have known the truths? From my personal experiences, you will feel this wonderful feelings inside whenever you have the chance to help, knowing that you will make a difference in someone's life. We are created to give Him praises, but we are also created to serve other people as we are serving Him. Remember that your action in this earth will be rewarded later in the heaven. He loves us and He is a faithful God. God bless us. My prayers are with you.