Every company has its equivalent Employee of the Year award. While the award name or recognition program may differ, the point is the same — recognize the contribution of that person in the organization.
As followers of Jesus, we may not be eligible to receive an annual award each year, but we must all take heart that at the end of our earthly journey — As St. Paul the Apostle says — we stand to reap a harvest of righteousness, if we do not give up.
Each of us should look forward to that day, when our Heavenly Father Himself will commend us for the good that we have done, and the love that we have spread while we were still alive.
“God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” Romans 2:6-8
And so how do we go about earning such a heavenly accolade? Well, when we surrendered our lives to Jesus and became His follower, we are called to an active role of becoming His ambassadors on Earth. Since He is no longer with us in the flesh, we His followers, should represent Him in the lives of both our fellow believers, and the non-believers around us.
We are to do good works that prove that we indeed are reborn into a new creation in Christ.
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” Luke 6:35
As Christians we should also prioritize spreading the good news of salvation and sharing Jesus’ passion to save the lost. We should not just be content on being saved, we should also help save others. We should tell the waywards, and those who are hopeless, that in Jesus, they can restart their lives. That when they surrender their lives to Him, sin will no longer have power over them, and they can rebuild their lives anew.
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2
God has given all of us time, talent, and treasure to carry out His calling for us. And we should act quickly because we do not really know how much time we have to help others to get to know the Lord. Just in our family circle, we should take it upon ourselves to shine Jesus’ light on them if they have not known Him yet.
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” Romans 10:14-15
And so when we intentionally choose righteousness and do good to others as we live our lives, we get the happy nod of our Heavenly Father as He looks on from His throne. When we save even just one soul, we make the heavens happy, making our efforts to be bold and share Jesus, not go to waste.
“Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7
At the end of your life, don’t you just like to hear what the master said to the slaves who purposefully made use of the talents he gave them while he went away?
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:21
If we know that we are living this life not just for ourselves and our pleasure, we will realize that there’s more to life than our selfish pursuits. That the main goal of our existence is to worship our God, and love others. When we know those basic truths, we will have no time to feel bad about ourselves, feel unworthy, feel lacking, and endlessly dwell on our resentments and regrets. Let’s live a purposeful life by seeking Christ all our days, and He will make all our days worth living for.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Romans 2:1-11 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you see yourself receiving a compliment from the Lord at the end of your life?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for redeeming and repurposing me, and giving me the opportunity to serve and help save others. Please empower me to be bold enough to proclaim your good news to others, and send me to those who need to know about you. Amen.
