“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Revelation 22:12, NIV)
I have come to realize that whatever time, talent, and treasure I have in this world will lose their value when I leave this world. Because of this fact, they are perishable items. These will do me no good in the world to come. Their value only lasts while I am in this world. It was a lightbulb moment for me when I finally came to realize I was spending all of my time and effort on things that are in the process of perishing. Earthly objectives like careers, positions, status, wealth, physical fitness, accumulated “stuff,” etc., are all perishable items. I really wasn’t using any of my resources for God’s kingdom. After I became a Christian, I learned that my spirit is going to last forever. It will only be spent in the presence of the Lord if I have established a right relationship with him.
The time, talent, and treasure we have are all perishable, but they become imperishable when we invest them in the kingdom of God; they last forever with ever-increasing eternal rewards.
The eternal rewards that we will someday receive should be a huge motivational factor in the life of the believer. The Bible is filled with verses that talk about our eternal reward.
And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return.
—2 Timothy 4:8, NLT
Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
—1 Corinthians 3:12–15, NLT
So here we are. We are living in a perishable world. We are going to a world that is imperishable. In the meantime, we are to be preparing for the imperishable world by being engaged in a transformation process in this perishing world, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV). What Christ has done for us compels us to be focused on God’s kingdom!
What resources are you investing in God’s eternal kingdom?
Converterlators are focused on God’s kingdom because of what Christ has done for them.