Rewards for your Faithfulness

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” - Matthew 5:11-12

In December of 1944, 18 members of a reconnaissance platoon held off a battalion of German troops in the Belgian village of Lanzerath. Their brave stand against the onslaught gave the Allied forces time to begin mounting a defence that eventually won the famous Battle of the Bulge.

Will James, one of the 18 platoon members, was severely injured in the battle and went through numerous surgeries as a result. His heroism went mostly unrecognized for almost 40 years until 1981, when he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism. 

In life and in faith, heroism can go largely unrewarded for years. Throughout the history of the church, there are countless faithful saints who’ve been obedient, even to the point of death, whose stories aren’t recorded anywhere on earth. But we know one place they’ll never be forgotten is in eternity, where those who’ve been faithful to death will receive their eternal rewards.

The point is this: your faithfulness may never be rewarded in this world. But you can rest assured your faithfulness will be remembered forever in eternity. So don’t look to the world to reward your faith. Await your eternal reward in heaven, which will be far greater!

Prayer Challenge

Pray and ask God to keep you faithful even when it goes unrecognized, knowing that your ultimate reward will be in heaven.

Questions for Thought

Why do you believe many of us want to see immediate rewards for our faithfulness instead of waiting?

What is God teaching us when He makes us wait to receive our rewards in heaven?