Randy Alcorn asks a question that no believer can simply dismiss. The question is this: “Why should I follow Scripture’s teaching on money and possessions when it’s so much fun to have all the nice things I want and do whatever I please with my money? I’m a Christian, and I know I’m going to heaven anyway, so why get radical about the whole money thing? why not have the best of both worlds, this one and the next?”
The missing ingredient in the lives of many Christians today is motivation. Given our false assumptions that what we do in this life won't have eternal consequences (apart from our decision to place our trust in Christ for salvation), it's no wonder we're unmotivated to follow God's directions regarding money and possessions (and everything else). The doctrine of eternal rewards for our obedience is the neglected key to unlocking our motivation.
He (Moses) considered the reproach of the [a]Christ [that is, the rebuke he would suffer for his faithful obedience to God] to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt; for he looked ahead to the reward [promised by God]. - Hebrews 11:26
Motivated by long-term reward, Moses chose short-term disgrace.
Paul ran his life's race with his eyes on the prize, which motivated him to run hard and long.
[a]Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! 25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a [b]crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. - 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Paul was unashamedly motivated by the prospect of eternal reward, which he affirmed freely and frequently. He encouraged all believers to be
motivated by rewards.
Another model of motivation by reward is Christ Himself.
[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross,[a]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]. - Hebrews 12:2
Jesus humbled Himself, knowing that He would ultimately be
exalted.
But when you give a banquet or a reception, invite the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind, 14 and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the[a]righteous (the just, the upright).” - Luke 14:13-14
Our instinct is to give to those who will give us something in return and not to those who won't.
What a motivation this is when we feel our labours are unappreciated by others! We can be freed from the burden of concern about whether others overlook our deeds, because God assures us that He will not overlook them. When we understand what it means to be promised a reward from God, any prospect of reward from others - or any bitterness for not being rewarded by them - will shrink in comparison.
But love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, and do good, and lend, [a]expecting nothing in return; for your reward will be great (rich, abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High; because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked. - Luke 6:35
Christ sought to motivate us to do good works by the promise of rewards.
Despite prevailing opinions to the contrary, the
prospect of rewards is a proper motivation for the Christian's obedience - including the generous sharing of our money and possessions. Since God does not tempt His children, it's clear that whatever He lays before us as a motivation is legitimate. It's not wrong for us to be motivated by the prospect of reward. Indeed, something is seriously wrong if we are not motivated by reward.
These are tangible motivators that may be personal, social, spiritual, physical or financial. By God's own design, all of us need incentives to motivate us to do our jobs and do them well. Motivation by reward is not a result of the fall, but God's original design for humanity.
God made us to need incentives to motivate us to do our jobs and do them well.
God will reward those who suffered while trusting Him, and those who helped the ones who were suffering. He doesn't have to - He wants to - He will.
“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centres] will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21
At this point you should realise that reward cannot be our only motivation. We should be motivated by
gratitude to serve God. We should be motivated by our ambition
"to be pleasing to Him." But these motives are never in scriptural conflict with the motive of reward. The same Bible that calls upon us to obey God out of our love for Him as
Faithful also calls upon us to obey out of our fear of Him as
Judge and out of our hope in Him as
Rewarder of those who serve Him. Each of these motivations is legitimate, and each complements the other. This isn't a matter of mixed motives (some good, some bad), but of multiple motives - multiple righteous motives.
We should share our faith out of our love for God - our love for other people should motivate us too - our example from Christ and the NT men and women of faith should show us how.
For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the [a]judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or [b]bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord [and understand the importance of obedience and worship], we persuade people [to be reconciled to Him]. But we are plainly known to God [He knows everything about us]; and I hope that we are plainly known also in your consciences [your God-given discernment]. - 2 Corinthians 5:10-11
The prospect of being praised by others is a strong motivator. Children are motivated by the hope of being praised by their parents. The prospect of hearing my Father say to me, "Well done," should be tremendously motivating.
How should we respond to the adversity for the sake of Christ?
Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for their fathers used to treat the prophets in the same way. - Luke 6:23
Consider these words --
Do not weary yourself [with the overwhelming desire] to gain wealth;
Cease from your own understanding of it.
When you set your eyes on wealth, it is [suddenly] gone.
For wealth certainly makes itself wings
Like an eagle that flies to the heavens. - Proverbs 23:4-5
God has created each of us with certain desires that correspond to certain motivations. The desire for pleasure can degenerate into hedonism, desire for possessions into materialism, and desire for power into egotism.
For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. - 1 John 2:16
Satan tempted Jesus to make bread for the pleasure of eating, to worship Satan for the possession of all the world's kingdoms, and to cast Himself from the highest point of the temple for the power of commanding angelic intervention.
The draw to pleasure, possessions and power cannot be rooted in our sin nature, because Satan appealed to there desires in
Adam and Eve before they were sinful. Christ had no sin nature. Satan knew this, yet he sought to tempt Jesus on these same three grounds - pleasure, possessions and power.
God Himself appeals to each of these desires in us! He offers us the reward of
power in His eternal kingdom,
possessions in His eternal kingdom, and
pleasures in His eternal kingdom.
