I’m Dr. Bob and for just a Mentoring Minute I want to share a thought that I recently had while In church. I was listening to Dr. Graham Catto, a guest speaker from South Africa. He said the ultimate destination of every believer will be manifest when Christ comes back. He continued to say that, at that time, the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. Dr. Catto continued by saying, “God wants to reward us for what we’ve done. He’s not only a giver, He’s a rewarder.” This really spoke to me. It reminded me the promise of rewards the Book of Hebrews gives us. In Chapter 11, Verse 6 it says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
When we do what God asks of us, our eternal rewards await us. However, if we have only done what we wanted, there will be no rewards. Dr. Catto said, “they will be left on the shelf on unclaimed blessings.” Rewards are not the result of our will being done. They are not even about what we see as our personal significance, though it is great to be significant with our lives. Rewards are about obedience. God rewards obedience. I’m Dr. Bob. Whose will are you putting first? What has God said that you have not obeyed, but considered to be a mere a suggestion, merely an option? Obedience is not optional. To think so is short-term foolishness. Disobedience will only result in a loss of rewards, and we can clearly know what that will mean. Revelation 20:11-13 is clear about it, saying, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. {12} And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. {13} The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.”