Rooted in God's PresenceSample

We might think of time and eternity as two separate things, but they are in fact a seamless whole. In time, Jesus was nailed to a Roman cross and left to suffocate. He was publicly humiliated and died alongside two criminals. Jesus endured that because of the joy that was set before Him. The joy wasn’t in time, because Jesus was never vindicated before His enemies. As far as they were concerned, He was dead and out of their way. But Jesus endured so that He could take His place at God’s right hand in eternity.

History shows and we can observe that denying yourself and following Jesus is simply the best way to live. It will bring you joy that results from living within His plans and purposes. It will bring you happiness that is beyond anything the world has to offer. The joy and happiness that come from following Jesus are contagious. The people around you will see that you are different, that you are living for something greater than yourself, and they will want that too.

When Jesus returns, He will reward each person according to what he or she has done during their days on the earth. And those rewards will stretch into eternity. I’ve concluded that God isn’t going to reward me for what this world might see as my successes and achievements, because God doesn’t need those things. If I accumulate a billion dollars, God doesn’t breathe a sigh of relief and say, “That’s good. The tithe of that will fund My next initiative.” If I earn multiple degrees, the hosts of heaven don’t say, “Okay, we can relax. Allen has the answers we need.”

It isn’t my success or my achievements that matter for eternity; it is my faithfulness. Every one of us can be faithful, regardless of how the world sees the circumstances of our lives. And when we choose to be faithful, God will respond to that with blessings and rewards in this life and the next.

Prayer

Lord, I want to be faithful to You. Please use me to do Your will, and help others to learn about You through me. Amen.