But I often ask similar questions, "Why is she getting more reward than I am?" or "I did this, now what do I get in return?"
These are all questions that those serving on legal grounds ask. They think they deserve a reward for what they do for others. However, those in Christ serve on the grounds of grace.
On the Grounds of Grace, our service belongs to God
Friend, I am doing you no wrong...Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Matthew 20:14-16In Matthew 20, Jesus answers the people's silly questions with a story about a landlord (a.k.a God) and his hired servants (a.k.a us). At the end of the day, the servants who worked for a longer amount of time complained because they received the same amount of wages as the servants who worked less.
If we serve the Lord on legal grounds, we receive the wages we deserve. God rewards us for what we have done in our own effort. But we know that everything we do apart from Christ is worth absolutely nothing. We need Jesus (Is. 64:6).
Thankfully, we serve the Lord on the grounds of grace. The very act of serving is a free gift from God. We are redeemed. Every ounce of holiness and right living is Christ in us.
If He chooses, our heavenly "Landlord" gives rewards based on his own measurements. The Lord loves to bless those who serve Him (Ps. 1, 5, 128). But he does not measure us the way man measures others.
Sometimes, those who appear "first" on earth (e.g. their good deeds are in the spotlight, their position is high, their spiritual status is off the charts) are really last in the Kingdom of heaven. God measures our heart (1 Sam. 16:7, 2 Cor. 5:11-12). He might choose to reward the dishwasher more than the waitress.
Trust that God will "pay his bills" with His best currency and His perfect timing. He never does us wrong. Is God "not allowed to do what He chooses with what belongs to Him" (Matt. 20:15)?
On the Grounds of Grace, we are given the means to serve God
But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20 26-28
God gives us opportunities, people, resources, finances, possessions, and talents to serve others (Rom. 12). So, God gives us both the means and the way to serve Him. But the most important means God gives us is love. Without love, all our service is nothing (1 Cor. 13).
Jesus made it His life mission to do the will of His Father by loving the people around him. God helps us serve Him by blessing us with the time, energy, and mindset to love. We serve because God first served us.
God uses suffering to make us more like Jesus (Rom 5:3-4), to draw us nearer to Himself (Ps. 34:18), and to help us serve others better (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
Jesus made it His life mission to do the will of His Father by loving the people around him. God helps us serve Him by blessing us with the time, energy, and mindset to love. We serve because God first served us.
On the Grounds of Grace, we succeed in serving God
“Who then can be saved?" But Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 20:25-26
Jesus tells his disciples it's harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus responds, "With God, all things are possible."
So, if both the means and way to serve the Lord is from God, then we must attribute our success to the Lord. Jesus lived the life of service we could never live on our own. Now, we undeservingly wear the service of Christ as a cloak of righteousness. We are deemed holy and we are being made holy until heaven.
Every time we successfully serve the Lord in humility and joy, He gets all the glory because it is He who has done it!
Jesus responds, "With God, all things are possible."
So, if both the means and way to serve the Lord is from God, then we must attribute our success to the Lord. Jesus lived the life of service we could never live on our own. Now, we undeservingly wear the service of Christ as a cloak of righteousness. We are deemed holy and we are being made holy until heaven.
Every time we successfully serve the Lord in humility and joy, He gets all the glory because it is He who has done it!
On the Grounds of Grace, suffering is a way we serve God
"You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup" Matthew 20:22-23When James and John's own mother asked the Lord to let her sons be "first" in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus made it very clear that the first will be last. God is so gracious to work even our suffering for our good. When we are made low, God is lifted high. We experience His righteousness by His grace and we experience His suffering by His grace.
God uses suffering to make us more like Jesus (Rom 5:3-4), to draw us nearer to Himself (Ps. 34:18), and to help us serve others better (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
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Instead of asking Jesus "What good thing must I do to get what I want?”, we should humbly pray the words of the blind men in Matthew 20, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us" (Matt. 20:30). We are servants with nothing to offer outside of God’s grace. We work by God's grace, humbly and joyfully receive any reward God chooses to give us, knowing it is a grace upon the grace we already have.
And no matter what, we know that we have already been given the greatest reward, eternal fellowship with God and His Son.
And no matter what, we know that we have already been given the greatest reward, eternal fellowship with God and His Son.
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