Effort Rewarded

Bible Reading: Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 4:12-16

Malik was having a difficult day. While he was in the locker room, he overheard some boys laughing because he had been friendly to a new student who was very awkward. Then at lunchtime, some other boys told him Christians weren’t allowed to sit at their table. The way they said “Christians” made it sound like something bad.

In math class, something good finally happened. Mrs. Brown announced that the regional math competition would be held the next week. “The students who will represent our school are Amy, Rita, Byron, and Malik,” she said. “They’ll be staying at the Grand Hotel while they’re at the competition. The winning team will get a trophy and go to the state competition next month.”

“Wow! That’s a cool place to stay. It’s got a huge swimming pool and really fancy rooms,” said one of the students. “I wish I could go!”

“Well, I can assure you that earning the right to go to the math competition was not easy,” said Mrs. Brown. “These students have shown that they’re willing to put in the necessary effort to get ready for the competition and do well in it.”

When Malik arrived home, he told his mom about his day. “Some of the kids are jealous because I get to go to the competition,” he said with a grin. Then he sighed. “But other kids still make fun of me for being a Christian.”

Mom looked at him. “Tell me—did you always feel like studying your math?”

Malik shook his head. “Of course not.”

“But you studied because you had your mind set on going to the math competition. Now your efforts are being rewarded.” Mom smiled. “As Christians, we will one day be rewarded too. You earned your place in the math competition, but there’s nothing any of us could do to earn our place in heaven. Jesus earned it for us by dying for our sins so we could enjoy the reward of eternal life with Him. But the Bible warns us that the Christian life isn’t easy—we’ll experience hardship in our lives just like Jesus did. But we can persevere as we keep our focus on Him, knowing our reward will be greater than anything we can imagine.”

–Sam L. Sullivan

How About You?

Do other kids make fun of you for being a Christian? The Bible tells us that even though following Jesus isn’t easy, we can rejoice when we suffer for Jesus because it shows that we belong to Him and will share in the eternal reward He earned for us on the cross. Look to Him for the strength you need to persevere, knowing that He is with you and that your reward will be great.

Today’s Key Verse:
Matthew 5:11 [Jesus said,] “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Christians will be rewarded