REWARDS!

We’re well into the season of graduation these days in the US.

And I had the privilege of speaking yesterday at the commencement of a local home-schoolers’ association here in North Texas. It was a delight for me to participate in the intimate gathering of parents, grand-parents, siblings, teachers, friends, well-wishers, and acquaintances to celebrate the achievements of this group of ten bright students (among whom was Meredith, one of the daughters of the Morgans, my good friends).

There are distinct advantages to being part of a small graduating class. The entire ceremony was highly personalized. When the time came for the granting of diplomas, the graduate and his/her parents were asked to come up to the front. On cue was a 60-second slideshow of significant events in the life of the student, followed by an audio recording made by the parents. Each parent then spoke briefly of their love and appreciation for their son/daughter—a touching time of affirmation, an opportunity to vocalize in public what their child means to them, a chance to encourage their offspring as they enter into a new phase of life.

What a joyous and moving experience! Very few dry eyes in that hall yesterday.

You know, there is soon coming a day when we, too, will stand before our Lord. I wondered what He would say about me then, when that slideshow of my life is replayed. Will it be this?

“Well done,
good and faithful slave ….”
Matthew 25:21

That is the day for the allotment of rewards. What will be mine?

Everyone who competes
in the games exercises
self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive
a perishable wreath,
but we an imperishable.
1 Corinthians 9:25

Will I have Paul’s confidence?

In the future
there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord,
the righteous Judge,
will award to me on that day.
2 Timothy 4:8

Are these literal crowns? Perhaps. But whatever these turn out to be, notice the “fate” of these crowns, as depicted in the action of the twenty-four elders (probably representing the church) in the presence of Christ.

The twenty-four elders
will fall down before Him
who sits on the throne …
and will cast their crowns
before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are You,
our Lord and our God, to receive
glory and honor and power;
for You created all things,
and because of Your will
they existed, and were created.”
Revelation 4:10–11

The rewards we obtain are, after all, the result of God’s grace, His power working within us to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. To Him, therefore, belongs the glory.

For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus
for good works,
which God prepared beforehand
so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

Were it not for His grace, there would be nothing. All we have, all we do, all we achieve—all of it is graciously, generously, given to us. Nonetheless, there is a responsibility on our part to labor for God’s glory, trusting in His grace to see us through.

But by the grace of God
I am what I am …;
but I labored even more
than all of them, yet not I,
but the grace of God with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10

Therefore …

Whatever you do,
do your work heartily,
as for the Lord
rather than for men,
knowing that from the Lord
you will receive
the reward of the inheritance.
It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
Colossians 3:23–24

“Well done, ….”