And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. II Timothy 2:24-26
Do you ever wonder if the people who are rewarded most in heaven will be the ones who were least known on earth? We live in a culture of seeking and striving for attention. Whether this has been driven by social media or just exacerbated through the news outlets’ “by any means necessary” quick claim to fame is, in reality, undetermined. Do they both have guilt in the manipulation of attention seeking, self serving mentality we see sweeping the entire world? Absolutely! But the heart of the matter is not the resources of the exposure, but rather the desire itself. In all of us there is a pull to be known and celebrated. I can remember, as if it were yesterday, my first collegiate football game without my parents in the stadium or any family members for that matter, to cheer me on. I had grown used to meeting them after the game, being welcomed with a hug and a congratulations. Sure there were students and fans in general, all of which would cheer my name and pat me on the back at the close of the fourth quarter, but for so many years I was used to seeing my parents. It was different, maybe I cannot explain it well enough, but simply put, it was different. When they were able to attend the games that feeling was back and as popularity developed I grew to enjoy the other cheering fans, the screaming of my name the clapping at the end of a smashing hit or responding play.
Then, after several years, sixty plus games, over a thousand tackles, hundreds of practices and too many wind sprints to remember… it all ended. Just as I can remember my first collegiate football game, as if it was yesterday as a freshman just turned 18 years old a week before, I can also remember my first solo task in the professional world. It would be the first one I would complete alone, no assistance and it went perfect. Do you know what happened when it was performed? Do you know what happened when it was sealed? Nothing! Absolutely, positively nothing. Everyone around continued doing their task and no one, I mean no one even recognised my effort or success. I can honestly say I looked around and for a millisecond, somewhere in the back of my mind I honestly believe I expected to hear some cheers or to receive an “ataboy”, but instead... nothing. This was reality, this was truth, this was life my friend.
It leads one to wonder, to consider our life and the daily tasks prescribed. What is our drive? What is our reason? What is our purpose for doing what we do? At work are we there just for a pay check or are we there to ultimately make a difference? In the ministry, are we there to build an empire or are we there to serve the Lord and the Kingdom to His rule? There is a principle taught in Matthew 6, falling within the practical/spiritual application but is noticeably beneficial to us in it’s application as Jesus said: “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:1-6). In these profound and powerful statements, it is fairly easy to understand our intentions determine the reward. This does not mean men who are chasing fame or serving to build an empire won’t succeed; nor does it substantiate fruitfulness, it does mean their rewards will only be in what they receive here… in this life. I know many men, locked into the ministry of the Lord, serving faithfully day in and day out, yet their names are not on billboards nor their words found in the latest “famous quote” section online. Yet to the Father in Heaven, to the families they teach and the children they feed, he is a hero and one day, maybe not on this side of glory, he will surely have his reward. …the servant of the Lord must not strive;
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