Over the years one of the things I’ve noticed about my kids—especially my youngest—is how much offering rewards for good behavior has encouraged positive action. We certainly aim to teach them to do their tasks out of love, rather than for reward, but I can also attest to how much I enjoy giving them things for their deeds.
As I was considering this reality as well as coming up on sharing with some extraordinarily faithful followers of Jesus, I began to ponder how God likes to reward us for our faithfulness to Him. Certainly, we tend to take a humbler approach and quote Luke 17:10, claiming we’re naught more than unworthy slaves. However, as I was preparing for this sharing I stumbled across something I’d never really realized before. In Hebrews 11:6 it is written, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him” (HCSB; emphasis added). In order to please God, we must believe that he will reward those of us who seek him, who are faithful to him! Have you considered that it is a form of worship to think of the rewards that God has for his faithful ones? I hadn’t until I read that passage again.
So, what are some of the rewards that God promises us? Mark 10:29-30 tells us about God’s over-abundant provision both in this life and the next. We hear about jewels, silver, and gold in 1 Corinthians 3. Paul talks about the victor’s crown in 2 Timothy 4:8. In Revelation chapters 2 and 3 Christ promises fourteen specific rewards for the “overcomers”. The one that struck me the hardest was in Revelation 3:5, where our Lord Christ promises to acknowledge each faithful one by name before his Father and the angels. Of all the rewards, that is the one I want most! Jesus points his finger at me and says, “Josh was a good and faithful servant, and he is mine.” It gives me a thrill to think about this and pondering this encourages me to work harder and be more faithful to my King and my God. So I will revel in my promised reward, for it empowers me press on toward the high prize of being called by his Name.
What about you? Have a look at the rewards in Revelation 2 and 3. Which one strikes you the most? Are there other rewards in Scripture that Christ has promised that encourage you? Let me know.