Read
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12
Reflect
A young man on his way home from school found a couple of canvas sacks lying in the street. He took a good look at them and found that they had been dropped by an armored car company and were filled with cash — $415,000 to be exact. He did the right thing and returned the money to the armored car service, and they presented him with a $1,000 reward.
The young man was nevertheless unhappy with the size of the reward. He had expected a much larger amount in exchange for the return of so much money. He was interviewed by the local newspaper about his actions and he told them, “I don’t understand it. If I had it to do over again, I would probably keep the money.” Most people had assumed he had returned the money out of a sense of moral duty, but in reality, he had just done it to get a big reward.
You might have noticed that a lot of Christians aren’t too different from that young man. Some live the Christian life in the hopes of getting a reward from God — the so-called “name it, claim it” Christians who are looking for God to bless them with riches because of their faith in Him. Others are using their faith simply to avoid the shame and guilt of sin. Both of these motivations miss the best reason to follow Jesus — because we love Him with all of our heart, soul and mind.
To obey the law simply to avoid the consequences is to live in fear. Likewise, to live the Christian life just for a reward is to miss the wonderful privilege of having a deep and loving relationship with our Savior.
Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt and Charles Fulton.
