Blessed and Then Some

 

“Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”  Hebrews 11:6

 Hebrews tells us that we are not only to believe in God, but also to believe that He will reward those who seek Him. I’ve always struggled with the last part of that verse. I felt like if I was a true believer, I wouldn’t need a reward. I should just believe in God and not expect any benefit. Whether that belief was conscious or subconscious, I think it has overshadowed much of my faith walk. I’m afraid that this perspective has caused me to discount or miss out on many of the blessings that He has sent my way. Right now I’m sitting on a heating pad in a beautiful balcony cabin with the door open to hear the sound of the waves and feel the fresh sea air. I’ve got lovely music playing in the background. My tummy is full of good food and I’ve got a cup of coffee next to me.

 I’m wearing my favorite jumpsuit that is super comfy. I’m also wearing my reading glasses that make it so that these words are not doubled for me! They are additionally tinted to help with light sensitivity and to prevent migraines. I’m typing on a laptop that is connected to the internet with Starlink satellites – how cool is that? I’m in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and I’m on the internet! The list of benefits keeps going on and on. It can all be summed up by saying that God has not only taken care of me, He has blessed me abundantly!


 I think one of the reasons I have hesitated to see this as a reward from God for my faith is that I struggle then to account for all those believers who do not get the rewards I have. How do I say I have been rewarded for my faith when there is a woman in China who has lost her husband from persecution and is struggling to support her children on her own? How can I call this a reward when a young man from a Hindu family comes to Christ and loses his whole family as they disown him? All I can understand is that God rewards each person in their own way. My walk has not been all sunshine and roses either. I have struggled with chronic illness, lost much of my ability to live and function normally, dealt with a brain tumor and subsequent surgeries and struggles. In the midst of all this, though, I have been rewarded. Daily I experience the blessing of walking with my Savior. Sometimes that is in an ICU room in the hospital. Sometimes it is in a balcony cabin on a cruise ship. But wherever I’m at, I am rewarded. I can only believe that God rewards those other believers I mentioned in the best ways for them as well. Perhaps it is showing up with miraculous provision. Perhaps they are given a new family in Christ that supports and loves them as their earthly family never did. I don’t know, I can’t know, but I can believe that God rewards them for their faith, and that He rewards me.

 Ok, I’m literally sitting here writing about being blessed and a man comes to my door and delivers sweets! I’m floored.

 I think I also struggled with the idea of believing that God will reward my belief in Him because it felt like if I really believed, I should believe without expecting a reward. It’s like when you’re a kid and your parents teach you that you should return the wallet you found because it’s the right thing to do and you shouldn’t expect anything in return, but secretly you hope you’ll get a few bucks! I think I had that lesson drilled into me, though I can’t remember finding any wallets. While it’s not necessarily wrong, I think it has been wrongly applied to this scenario. Either that or I have it backwards. Maybe my brain is afraid that I believed in God to get a reward. I’m afraid that my belief won’t count if it is done for the wrong reasons. But don’t we all believe in Jesus because we want to go to Heaven to be with Him? Isn’t that the greatest reward of all? And then, is going to Heaven to be with Jesus really a reward if you aren’t in love with Him? So many questions! Back to what I was saying about backwards, instead of believing in God to get a reward, I think we are rewarded because we believe. A small shift in the order of the words, but a huge difference in meaning. Just as a mother I want to bless my children with good things, my Heavenly Father longs to do the same, and He knows what is actually good for us!

Here's the Thing: I don’t want to miss out on any blessings God has for me because I am foolishly caught up with thinking I shouldn’t want them. I love God because He first loved me. I love Him because He has provided a way for me. I love Him because He has filled me with the Holy Spirit and supplied for me every good thing. I am blessed through Him, and I will respond with gratitude and embrace His gifts!

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