God’s Reward
From an early age, we were taught that good behavior leads to rewards. Clean your room, get good grades, follow the rules—and you might earn praise, a gift, or a little cash. As we grew older, the pattern continued. Compete hard, and you could win trophies, recognition, and applause. Adulthood only reinforced this mindset: work hard, climb the ladder, build a name, and you’ll be rewarded with paychecks, titles, and admiration.
This system of reward has been ingrained in us since childhood. So it’s no surprise that many of us struggle with the idea that following Christ doesn’t always come with visible or immediate rewards. If we expect God to follow the same reward system we’ve grown up with—especially on this side of Heaven—we will inevitably be disappointed.
As Christians, we’ve all been there. You serve the Lord, give your time, your energy, your heart—only to step back and wonder, Did any of it even matter? Did I actually do something for God? Because honestly, you can’t tell. You wait, hoping to hear, "Well done, My child," but instead, there’s silence.
And then, just when you expect a blessing, something bad happens. You start to question everything. Did I mess up? Did I do it wrong? Or even worse—What was the point if there’s no reward and I still get knocked down?
Slowly, without realizing it, we start shaping our relationship with God around earning His approval. We try to “perform” just to feel like He’s pleased with us. And when we fall short—or think we have—we assume He’s disappointed or distant.
Our Reward
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
(Genesis 15:1)
Our greatest reward has already been given to us—Jesus Christ. His life, His sacrifice, His Spirit, and His love are God’s ultimate gift to us. That alone should be the driving force behind our obedience, our actions, our words, and our way of life.
Life on this side of Heaven will be a battle for the Christian soldier. Jesus never promised ease—He promised persecution, just as He faced (John 15:20). If we don’t grasp the depth and greatness of the reward we’ve already received in Christ, our faith will remain weak and easily shaken.
But when we understand that Jesus is our reward—our shield, our strength, our hope—then our faith is fueled, not by what we hope to gain, but by the One we’ve already been given.
There have been times when I followed God in obedience, walked through a door He opened, and on the other side, I could feel His smile—I can’t deny that. But the reason I followed Him wasn’t to earn His approval. It was because of everything He had already done for me.
In those moments, I believe God was simply giving me a glimpse—a small taste—of what Heaven will be like for those who remain faithful to Him.
We Will Be Rewarded in Heaven
“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
(Matthew 5:12)
God will reward us—but He has reserved those rewards for Heaven. Why? Because He knows that if He gave them to us here, we’d be tempted to stop chasing Him and start chasing the rewards instead. And the moment we start pursuing rewards over Christ, we’ve already lost them—because God’s desire is that our hearts pursue Him above all else.
If we feel the need to be rewarded in this life, it points to something deeper: we haven’t yet fully grasped the reward we already have in Jesus. What we’re missing is spiritual growth and maturity—the kind that opens our eyes to see Christ as the ultimate treasure. When we truly see Him for who He is, our love for Him becomes the fuel that drives our obedience, endurance, and devotion.
This is how we run the race.
This is how we fight the good fight.
This is how we overcome the world—
not by striving for earthly rewards, but by keeping our eyes fixed on the One who is worth it all.
