"For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." Matt 16:27 (NIV)
Who among us does not like to be recognized and rewarded for his or her work? In the business world, reward, recognition and pay are among the top motivators for employee performance. It is the same in the world of sports, music, acting and art. In fact, it is the same for every human endeavor regardless of age, gender, national origin or ethnicity. Naturally there are those who excel in their chosen areas and some who rise to near universal notoriety because of their accomplishments. Conversely, there are many more who accomplish little and receive little.
Beloved it is important for all believers to know that Christianity is not a destination but a pursuit. Having been blessed by the Lord with salvation, one does not at that time sit and wait thinking that he or she has arrived and that Jesus will take care of everything else. He spoke about this frequently, including the familiar passages, "As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me" John 5:17, and "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few," Matt 9:37. We are also familiar with the parable of the talents that involved great reward for those who accomplished a return on the Lord's investment while the one who did not was "cast into outer darkness," in verse 30.
No one can interact with the Scriptures and come away with anything less than that there are expectations associated with being a child of God, just as we have expectations of our children. We reward them when they do well. Though we cannot possibly earn the free gift of salvation, rewards, according to the word of the Lord, can be earned. Are you motivated?
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
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