A Year Of Great Reward

Whatever you do, do it for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive your reward of an inheritance from the Lord. Col 3:23-25. 

Colossians 3 says that we are to receive a portion, an allotment, an inheritance from the Lord. Make no mistake, the time is coming when God, through Jesus Christ, is going to divide the privileges, roles and responsibilities of His eternal Kingdom and allocate them to His children as their inheritance. 

I believe that time is drawing near. Looking at all that is going on in the world, looking at Scripture and the voice of the Holy Spirit, I’m persuaded the Lord's return is near. With the return of Jesus Christ will come a fulfilment of His Kingdom on the earth and an inheritance for each of His saints. Jesus Christ is to reign in fullness and He wants us to share our part in His reign. 

The question we need to ask ourselves is how are we to live our lives this year- 2022, to maximise Christ’s investment in our lives. 

As the years have come and gone, one thing I’ve learned is that "the time will come" no matter what we do. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, "the time will come when" or "if you keep doing that, time will come..!"    

Once my brother and I were talking about if he should do a post-grad masters in his medical field. I said to him, “the way I figure it, those few years are going to come and go, no matter what we do. And in a few years, that time will be gone and you will either have your masters degree, or you won’t have it. The question is, what will you have in its place?’

We should face 2022 not just in awe that, "wow it’s 2022", but the understanding that our time on earth in this life is limited, and our time on earth in this life, WILL matter for eternity. What we do will echo for eternity. 

I believe that 2022 shall be a year of great reward for us. 

The Bible is clear on this subject, but it’s a subject that is not often talked about and seems to rarely impact the way Christians live their lives. Paul told Timothy that godliness is profitable, having promise in this life and also, “ in the life come” (1 Tim 4:8). Paul also warned the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3, when they were being carnal, saying “I follow Paul, or I follow Apollos”, that anything we do in our life’s, which is to last into eternity, must be done in His grace and according to His will (1 Cor 3: 10). And in Revelation 22:12, Jesus says, “I am coming soon and my reward is with me, to repay to each person, according to their work.”

In my life, I’ve made some stupid investment decisions. There’s no other way of explaining them, in hindsight, they were just stupid. At one time I bought a business distributing candy. We were tied into a contract and just kept getting more and more candy stacked up in our garage, under the house, around the side of our house …. It wasn’t funny. The rats and mice had a party, but we certainly didn’t. 

I like to think I’ve become wiser, more scrupulous and better informed in my investments. I’ve got investments in industries and resources that the world needs and I believe we are going to need more and more in the future. And I’m prepared to stay invested and wait for that day. 

There’s another day coming, The Day Of The Lord. And we need to invest our lives in the surety that “the day will come!” The world needs Jesus, Jesus is coming back and we are to be about His business, investing in His Kingdom. 

How are we to live our lives, in 2022, so that this year will be a year of great reward? Thankfully, God’s Word is clear on how we are to invest in His Kingdom. Here are three ways we can invest in His Kingdom. 

First, we are to live Godly lives, in grace, righteousness and love. The Bible calls that godliness: living as God lives. (1 Tim 4:8)

Secondly, we must determine to be about our Father’s work. That means being a vital part of His family, the local Church, and its mission to reach the lost and make disciples. And doing these things ‘according to His grace’. (1 Corinthians 3:5-15)

Thirdly, whatever we do, we’re to do it from the heart of a right motive, not to please others, or to seek recognition from them, but to know we are serving the Lord. We’re to serve ‘as unto the Lord’. We’re to minister, live, help others, work our secular jobs, as though we are serving Jesus directly because we are!

God has given 2022 to us as a year of great reward. It’s ours to have and to prosper. To profit this year, and for eternity.