Not of this world.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mark 8:35-36
Ice cream, a sticker, a high five...when you are young these things give you incentive! They are rewards that let you know you've done a good job! And because these are physical markers that let us know our actions are positive, they condition us to keep doing the thing that is deemed "good"!
As we grow up we no longer work for these small incentives, but strive for bigger more abstract goals in our lives. Markers that tell us we are doing the right thing and making the right choices. Sometimes in our lives we see our good choices leading to good concrete results. And truth be told sometimes we don't!
It's easy to struggle with this notion, that no matter how many good choices or good decisions you make, it seems like everyone else is getting the rewards and you are stuck standing there with what feels like nothing. I find myself here often! People around me seem to be getting everything I've ever wanted while I just stay the same. And I push and continue to make the best choices I can and still the rewards don't seem to come my way. And I get angry and sad and almost mad at God. Wondering why He'd force me to watch everyone else experiencing moments, or adventures, or things that I will probably never get to do.
And then I realize how stupid I sound. How could I compare any moment here on earth, anything, any relationship with the VICTORY of Heaven?!! My human heart gets so wrapped up in all the little rewards of this life that I completely forget what and WHO I am living for. God is not calling me to be "good" so that I can experience everything beautiful that this world has to offer. He is calling me to live fully for Him so that one day I'll be able to experience something so much better than all of this, something so much more beautiful, something so much more precious than anything I could find here in this world. He is calling me to live the best life I can so one day I'll fully know the rewards of Heaven.
While at moments, it may feel like our good deeds go unnoticed, we can't forget the reward that is already ours. It's funny, I want these little physical markers of progress in things, when in reality my heart is proof of progress greater then the sticker or the ice cream cone! He is present in my heart and this is just a small reminder of the rewards I'll receive when I enter His glorious kingdom.
Don't live for small rewards here, although they are fun, there are nothing in comparison to the victory that is awaiting us in Heaven!
Ice cream, a sticker, a high five...when you are young these things give you incentive! They are rewards that let you know you've done a good job! And because these are physical markers that let us know our actions are positive, they condition us to keep doing the thing that is deemed "good"!
As we grow up we no longer work for these small incentives, but strive for bigger more abstract goals in our lives. Markers that tell us we are doing the right thing and making the right choices. Sometimes in our lives we see our good choices leading to good concrete results. And truth be told sometimes we don't!
It's easy to struggle with this notion, that no matter how many good choices or good decisions you make, it seems like everyone else is getting the rewards and you are stuck standing there with what feels like nothing. I find myself here often! People around me seem to be getting everything I've ever wanted while I just stay the same. And I push and continue to make the best choices I can and still the rewards don't seem to come my way. And I get angry and sad and almost mad at God. Wondering why He'd force me to watch everyone else experiencing moments, or adventures, or things that I will probably never get to do.
And then I realize how stupid I sound. How could I compare any moment here on earth, anything, any relationship with the VICTORY of Heaven?!! My human heart gets so wrapped up in all the little rewards of this life that I completely forget what and WHO I am living for. God is not calling me to be "good" so that I can experience everything beautiful that this world has to offer. He is calling me to live fully for Him so that one day I'll be able to experience something so much better than all of this, something so much more beautiful, something so much more precious than anything I could find here in this world. He is calling me to live the best life I can so one day I'll fully know the rewards of Heaven.
While at moments, it may feel like our good deeds go unnoticed, we can't forget the reward that is already ours. It's funny, I want these little physical markers of progress in things, when in reality my heart is proof of progress greater then the sticker or the ice cream cone! He is present in my heart and this is just a small reminder of the rewards I'll receive when I enter His glorious kingdom.
Don't live for small rewards here, although they are fun, there are nothing in comparison to the victory that is awaiting us in Heaven!
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