TUESDAY: ETERNAL REWARD
KEY PASSAGE
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
DEVOTIONAL
Notice how this Scripture starts with “therefore,” meaning we need context to what was said before this. After many chapters of instruction to the Church on many details– how to worship, teach, disagree, use spiritual gifts, marry, settle lawsuits, handle immorality, choose holidays, etc.-- the letter turns to a reminder of the gospel that holds all these new believers together:
“By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you… that Christ died for our sins.” (v.2-3)
Then we are reminded why it matters that Jesus arose from the dead: the resurrection of Christ assigns immense value to everything we do on earth. What we sow here reaps eternal reward.
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” (v.54)
Before we meet Jesus, we live by earthly intentions– what do I want, need, desire, dream of and long for? How do I get what I want and enjoy it now?
Once we meet Jesus, earthly intentions are clothed in eternal ones. We see life through a new lens, which is: death does not erase our impact. What we do and who we become lasts forever. And in Jesus, death leads to victory instead of destruction. The letter concludes with this:
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (v.58)
CHALLENGE
So, brother or sister, are you standing firm or are you easily moved?
Are you fully focused on life with Jesus or are you distracted by fleeting earthly desires?
Do you act knowing what you do matters forever or are you acting on instant gratification?
Allow God to hold a mirror to your heart to help you see what he sees– the good and the bad (don’t worry, he can handle it). Write these things down, then hold them up like you are looking in a mirror.
Meditate on (repeat in your mind) this truth as you go about your day: “I matter to God because God matters to me. I matter today because today matters forever.” Notice how this repetition of thought forms the actions you take today.