Those Who Move: Guaranteed Winners in the New Year

Another calendar year has gone by; another 365 days are lying in wait. The new year beckons and we come running. Some are prepared with new year resolutions, others like myself who no longer make them are in anticipation of good tidings. This year, I have chosen a slogan – move! I hope to make progress by taking action. I look forward to developing in many areas of my life – mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially, even relationally (is there such a word?). And I want the Lord God to lead me in doing this.

Move

This hopefulness has my mind going wild with imagination (remember move!). So, picture me (or you) motioning with arms spread wide and enthusiastically stating, “What if…?” The possibilities are infinite; but to have winners, I need specifics. So, let us shift this a little bit…

Imagine sitting in your favourite spot, quietly pondering what to ask of the Lord as the year begins. For me, that would be sitting silently before the Eucharistic Lord in the Adoration chapel or before the Tabernacle (with my eyes closed). Suppose you then hear a gentle voice whisper your name in your ear (or perhaps in the heart) and you open your eyes to find the Lord Jesus Christ Himself standing before you. And before you can even speak, He stretches out His hand and gives you a sheet of paper with a list of rewards that He has planned for you. What do you think that list will read like?

The truth is that what God has in store for us is beyond our ability to imagine. The Apostles have taught us that the love of God (even in this life) is way beyond our ability to understand (cf. Ephesians 3:19); the peace of God is beyond our comprehension (cf. Philippians 4:7), and His joy is beyond our ability to put into words (cf. 1 Peter 1:8). Do you know that as a Christian, the Lord God has already given you the inconceivable prospect of knowing the future so that you may be able to invest your life wisely in the light of this knowledge? Seriously – Just check out the Bible! What if you were to make this your prayer and ambition to go all-in for the opportunities offered herein? Still not convinced? Okay. Let us explore the Scriptures and see if we can specifically identify the things (for me the moves) that the Lord Jesus Christ promises to reward.

Prayer and Fasting

Prayer must be one of the most important ways to show our reliance on God and our ability to know Him. According to St. Matthew, this is my first winner…

But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:6).

In the Book of Hebrews, we read that God desires His children to seek Him through faith-filled prayer and fasting (cf. Hebrews 11:6). This means that we have to be sure to make our pick in what the Lord God values and rewards, and thereby ensure our life is personified by seeking God through prayer and fasting. It would otherwise be impossible to please God if we do not believe that He exists; for He truly rewards those who earnestly seek Him. This is why St. Matthew also adds,

But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:17-18).

Compassion for the Vulnerable

The next winner is compassion. Having compassion for our needy brothers and sisters by way of either clothing, or feeding, or welcoming them is seen by the Lord God as doing it for Christ Himself. St. Matthew again speaks of this as a splendid depiction of serving God and something that the Lord God promises to reward.

Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me’ ( Matthew 25:37-40).

Bearing Insults and Being Excluded for the Name of Christ

It sounds incredulous that we should rejoice and be joyful when people hate us for being Christians. But this is what the Lord Jesus Christ exhorts us to do. He says,

Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way (Luke 6:22-23).

The Lord Jesus knows that persecution in His Name brings promised blessings and rewards and also glorifies the Father. This means that even when we are ridiculed here on earth for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are assured to be rewarded. It is not easy to rejoice in the face of persecution, but we cannot afford to have an incomplete view of who the Lord Jesus Christ is. So, we rejoice when we are persecuted in His Name because Christ died for our sins to reconcile us to God and to buy us eternal life. It is our conviction that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (cf. Romans 8:38-39).

Having Love for Our Enemies

The word ‘enemy’ as a noun refers to a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.  Christ showed the grace of the Father by loving His enemies and now allows us to show His grace and gain eternal rewards by doing the same. He teaches us in the Beatitudes saying,

But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people (Luke 6:35).

When we have a love for our enemies, we emulate the kind of mercy and grace that the Lord Jesus showed to those who were crucifying Him (cf. Luke 23:34a). This is what being merciful just as the Father is merciful means (cf. Luke 6:36).

Being Generous in Giving

Another move that the Lord promises to reward is generous giving. Many of us think of giving as something we can only do with money. But we have many other gifts that we can generously share with others – from material things to knowledge to skills. These are things that we can generously give to others, especially when we know that we shall be rewarded for doing so. St. James reminds us that every good thing we have is a perfect gift from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (cf. James 1:17).

St. Luke encourages us to give so that even more will be given to us. In other words, that we will receive in return, the standard of measure by which we will have meted out. And that which will pour into our laps will be a good measure, that is pressed down, shaken together, and running well over (cf. Luke 6:38).

Practicing a Hospitality That Cannot Be Repaid

There are many things which when we look at them humanly speaking cannot be repaid here on earth. This is where the Lord God comes in. He does not overlook any of our efforts and He promises to reward us at the time of the Resurrection. St. Luke gives an account of the Lord’s advice to one of the leaders of the Pharisees who had invited Him.

Now He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him,

Whenever you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor wealthy neighbours, otherwise they may also invite you to a meal in return, and that will be your repayment. But whenever you give a banquet, invite people who are poor, who have disabilities, who are limping, and people who are blind; and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:12-14).

Enduring Pressures in Ministry

It is common to feel discouraged in ministry; but, we are to feel encouraged because the Lord God promises to reward us for how we serve Him on earth. We must not fall into discouragement or depression but cling tightly to the promise that God will give reward for our trials and afflictions. This should be the fuel that energizes us into a deeper trust and dependence on the Lord God as we serve Him.

As St. Paul states, this is a momentary light affliction that should produce for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond all comparison. We shall not look at the things which are seen but instead focus on the things which are not seen. We must understand that the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

Giving Quality Work for our Employer

A lot of times we hear people complain about their workplaces. No matter the circumstances, we are to do our best work for our employer knowing that we are doing our best work for the Lord Jesus. As St. Paul teaches,

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve (Colossians 3:23-24).

Imagine what this means. That working heartily for the Lord is one way to show Him our gratitude for the amazing things he has given us in Christ Jesus. Remember, the Lord God will not let our effort go unnoticed. With or without our employer’s recognition or appreciation or promotion, He will reward us for our labour.

Persevering through Trials

The Lord God implores us to walk by faith at all times, in all circumstances. This includes keeping the Faith even in times of trials. It is usually quite tough to fight for faith. But we must press on if we are to prove that our faith is authentic. This is what will bring the rewards from God. St. Peter urges us to persevere.

In this, you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Being Faithful to the Truth

We need to be fully committed to the Truth. The Lord Jesus identifies Himself as the way, and the truth, and the life; and states that no one comes to the Father except through Him (cf. John 14:6). Our commitment should honour the Lord God, and secure for us the promised reward. Nonetheless, we are to be wary of many who are out to derail. Scripture warns us of many deceivers who have gone out into the world. These do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. We must watch ourselves and regularly self-examine so that we do not lose what we have accomplished, but rather that we may receive a full reward (cf. 2 John 1:7-8).

Take-Home

There are many opportunities to earn great rewards from the Lord God. I am sure we will discover more when we search deeper. We hope to stand before God the Father with the Lord Jesus and in His righteousness. Then we will be able to participate in the promised resurrection to eternal life. In this new year, we must purpose to know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour and choose to serve Him as our Lord.