Nothing keeps a person going more than the promise of a reward. Tell a child that if they behave, they will get a treat, and they shape up quickly. Promise a raise to an employee if they complete a project, and soon their productivity is through the roof. For the Christian, if we remain faithful while doing the will of God, we will receive the promise of eternal life. Heaven is waiting for those who endure and put their confidence in Jesus.
Hebrews 10:35-36
So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.
Endure the Trials
The writer of Hebrews is encouraging the readers to hold on to their confidence in Christ. They were worn down and were ready to go back to their old legalistic ways of keeping the law. Instead, the author is telling them to endure so that they can receive the reward that is waiting for those who remain faithful. It can be hard to keep going when it seems like everything is crashing in, but if we focus on doing the Will of God, we will see the endurance materialize.
Rightly Placed Confidence
Where are you putting your confidence? Is it another person or relationship? Maybe it is the desire to be wealthy? If our confidence is in anything except Jesus, it will disappoint us. We can place our confidence in Him because of all that he has done for us. Romans 5 tells us that His death on the cross made us at peace with God, gave us access to his abundant grace, and filled our hearts with His love through the Holy Spirit. Those are some pretty incredible benefits that each and every believer receives.
Receive the Promise
There is a reward waiting for you. It is there for everyone who does the will of God. How do you know what the will of God is in your life? Certain aspects of God’s will are the same for everyone. He requires that we all be doers of the Word, not just hearers. He also wants us to love Him with every fiber of our being and love others as much as we love ourselves. If we focus on those three things, it will fill our day with more time to do it.