It has been said that rewards are distributed at the end of the finish line. Indeed, if we persevere and continue running our races and reach the finish line, we will be rewarded based on how we ran the race. The same is true of our race in life. Did you know that one day, we will all give an account before Christ for how we lived our lives? As a result, we must live every day, remembering that we will one day answer to God for what we did with our lives and time and be rewarded based on how we lived.
Paul explains in the book of 2nd Corinthians that we will be judged and rewarded based on how we lived. In this passage of Scripture, he taught readers that the foundation of our lives is Christ (verse 11). The question becomes, how do we build upon that foundation? Paul wrote that "anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw" (verse 12). We all have unique gifts and opportunities to serve with our lives, and as we serve, we are building on that foundation. Paul continued his teaching, saying, “On the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work the builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value” (verse 13). One day, we will stand before Christ and give an answer for what we did with our lives, whether we honored Him or dishonored Him by the things we did and the words we said. After the fire reveals whether "a person's work has value," Paul explains that "If the work survives, the builder will receive a reward" (verse 14). If, as we stand before Christ, our lives brought honor to Him, we will be rewarded.
Don’t you want to receive a reward for how you lived your life when you stand before Christ one day? It is time that we take each day seriously, knowing that each moment matters. We are going to give an account one day for our lives. That means today matters. Our actions today are significant. May we live each day, for each moment, seeking to honor God in everything we do.
Memorize 2 Corinthians 5:10. Bring it to mind every day. Let this verse remind you that you will give an account of how you lived and be rewarded based on the race you ran in life. Commit to living each day to honor God and make Christ known to those around you.
12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,
“He traps the wise
in the snare of their own cleverness.”
20 And again,
“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise;
he knows they are worthless.”
21 So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you— 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
