January 7: “Obeying the Lord and Being Rewarded for It”

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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Genesis 16-18
Matthew 5:38-6:8

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Matthew 6:1 (CSB): “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven.”

Reflecting on God’s Word

We have enjoyed owning dogs. For the dogs that got to stay inside our home, we needed to teach them not to do their business in the house. We used a system that helped them learn that they were rewarded with a treat when they did what we desired. Nothing complicated. When they did the right thing, they were rewarded.

We used a reward system when our boys were growing up. We discovered that rewards helped them potty-train quicker, clean their rooms without attitudes, and so much more. We also discovered that we could use rewards to minimize arguments when cramped in a vehicle for long trips. Nothing complicated. When they did the right thing, they were rewarded.

But when we think about adult Christians, we may assume that rewards are below us. We may be convinced that if we do something because we will be rewarded, it muddies our motives.  

We believe that we should do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do, regardless of whether there are rewards for good behavior. Now, there is certainly an element of truth in that belief. But it’s not the whole truth.

If you circle the word “reward” every time it appears in Matthew 6:1-18, you will notice that it appears seven times in those 18 verses.

As you dig a little deeper, you’ll see that the Lord promises rewards if we do the right thing with the right motive, but we will forgo Heavenly rewards if we do the right things with sinful motives. Clearly, Jesus is motivating His disciples by saying that we will be rewarded if we obey Him and have a desire for His approval (and not the applause of our peers).

If we skip to Matthew 10:41-42, we hear Jesus telling us (again!) how we can get rewards.

Matthew 10:41-42 (CSB): “Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he’s righteous will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”

Then, in Matthew 16:27, He tells us that when He comes back for us, He will bring our rewards with Him!

Matthew 16:27 (CSB): “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done.”

Clearly, the Lord doesn’t see rewards as an inferior motivation.

So, let the gaining of eternal rewards keep you motivated to obey the Lord from your heart. Don’t strive for temporary applause or recognition. If others see you serving Jesus and raise their hands to applaud, so be it. But we aren’t focused on that, nor should we crave it. Instead, we live so that we are laying up treasures in Heaven by obeying Him and craving only His applause.

On top of all this, something special happens when we get serious about gaining rewards in Heaven. It gets us thinking about Heaven even more … and that’s a very good thing!

Matthew 6:19-21 (CSB): “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Spend Time in Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for explaining in Your Word how I should think, speak, and live. I realize that obeying You will clearly keep me from negative consequences and, instead, will set me up for blessings. But I know my heart and realize that I can obey You while desiring that others acknowledge what I’m doing for You. Please help me cultivate a heart that craves only Your applause. And thank You for the reward that I will gain for doing so. I pray this in Your Name, Amen.

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com).