“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shown toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” – Hebrews 6:10 (KJV).
God rewards faithful service to the kingdom. He demands service and he rewards those who faithfully serve. Kingdom service can be horizontal as well as vertical in nature. Our service is both to God and to humanity. We are required to do everything and to render every service as unto the Lord. Everything that a believer does one way or the other, impact his destiny positively or negatively. Every service of believers has spiritual and eternal implications. This include our service to our parents, our elders, our service in our work places, our service to our business associates and customers, our service in church, our service to the communities and to the entire society as well as our direct services to God in form of worship and prayer. Our horizontal service has to do with our service to humanity while the vertical service talks of our direct service to God. God demands that service be rendered willingly and cheerfully.
To receive reward from God, our service should meet the following criteria:
- It should be done cheerfully and not grudgingly.
- It should be done willingly.
- It should be done sincerely not with eye service.
- It should be rendered selflessly.
- It should be done with the right motive not with ulterior motive.
- It should be done in line with the will of God.
- It should be rendered to give glory to God not to glorify the flesh.
The apostles asked Jesus what their reward will be seeing that they have left all to follow him. Jesus’ response was so encouraging and revealing. “And everyone that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life” – Matthew 19:29(KJV). This shows that reward for kingdom service begins here and continues in eternity. Our labour in the kingdom is not in vain. People may not notice our service but God takes record of every service rendered in his name.
The scriptures reveals that when we render service to the brethren in the name of the Lord, we render such service to God. If we give a cup of water to any in the name of the Lord, we will not lose our reward. God looks at the heart, and he sees the motive behind the service. No matter how little or insignificant such service may look, He notices and rewards such service.
We are thus encouraged not to be weary in well doing for in due season we will receive our reward from God. Men may not reward you, they may not appreciate or even acknowledge your service, but be encouraged knowing that what you do in secret, God rewards openly.
PRAYER: Thank you Jesus for you reward my labour of love and sacrificial services.
Rev. Vincent Diolu