eFax of Life from CBMC Heartland
A Weekly Inspirational Thought from Ken Korkow
Now or Later?
What would you rather have:
A. $1 million for ten days – and then be destitute for the next twenty years?
B. Be broke for the next ten days – and then have $50 million for the next twenty years?
Just finished reading a fascinating book by Bruce Wilkinson entitled, A Life God Rewards, and sub-titled, Why Everything You Do Today Matters Forever.
Twenty-five years ago, I wasn’t ready for this book. Had spent the previous thirty years of my life selfishly living by the motto ‘make Kenny happy’. Really didn’t care if my actions hurt you – so long as I could somehow benefit. Then I surrendered to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and began to read the Bible. As I came across verses regarding ‘eternal rewards’ – I glossed over them because they seemed to appeal to a base, impure motivation.
And today – many ‘protestants’/’evangelical’/nominal Christians won’t like Wilkinson’s Rewards thesis:
A. If you have a personal relationship with Jesus – when you die – you go to eternal heaven. And if you’ve invested your life wisely – heaven gets even better.
B. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus – when you die – you go to hell – forever. And if you’ve been bad – hell gets worse.
The aforementioned folks won’t like Wilkinson’s conclusions because:
A. Different levels in heaven and hell sound too much like Dante's Inferno.
B. The idea that Jesus is the ONLY access point to God seems exclusive/intolerant.
C. They feel a loving God would never send basically moral people to an everlasting hell.
Problem is – Wilkinson backs up his statement with solid Biblical references and we readers are then faced with the dilemma: Will I follow my feelings – or will I follow Scripture?
Isn’t that ultimately what Christian faith is all about? When we come to those decision-points in life where we have to make a choice – and we don’t know for sure what to do. It is this very act of trust – that is the starting point for eternal rewards.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
Back to the original question of what you’d rather have: A. $1,000,000 for ten days and then broke for twenty years? Or, B. Broke for ten days and then have $50,000,000 for twenty years?
Since a mark of maturity is the ability to defer immediate gratification to obtain long-term gain – most people would take option B – and the $50,000,000.
Why are we reluctant to trust God and invest our lives to receive His eternal rewards? Because we humans (and especially Americans) want immediate gratification.
Funny thing: As soon as I begin to obey Him – I’m no longer ‘broke.’ I begin to receive love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. I have a power and purpose never before obtainable. Plus – I’m accruing eternal rewards.
So – how mature/long-term/faithful will you and I be? According to the Bible – everything we do today – matters forever.
“One must keep pointing out that Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and, if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.” C.S Lewis, Professor and Author
CBMC Heartland, 05/29/03
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