service – early reward

God does good things for us, we thank Him in words but also in deeds, we choose to serve Him; if I have received a lot it goes without saying that I too participate in what others can receive from God, it goes without saying that I participate in something that is close to His heart. It is the law of reciprocity. But I also know that while I do not think there is anything to thank, God says thank you to me and in different ways.

The Sunday before, I was giving the example of our teaching CDs that we have been working on recently because they will be distributed nationally. Someone could devote themselves to this work and never meet many of the people who will be affected by these teachings (in this case, one of my teammates had just spent all his evenings and part of his nights, outside of his regular work for a whole period doing this). But God will know how to say thank you in his everyday life, and one day in heaven, he will have the pleasure of meeting these people who will finally be able to say 'thank you for your service.'

But God has a sense of humor. The Sunday after this illustration, So last Sunday I saw someone at the service I hadn't seen for many years. We talked after the service and she reminded me not only of the Bible studies she had attended but also of a prayer I had said for her that had made an impression on her. But even more powerful was that she told me about the teaching tapes, how beneficial they had been and still were for her and for her wife, whom I was meeting for the first time. This went directly in line with what I was saying the week before. Of course it was a joy to see them and to know that this work done for God so long ago continues to bear fruit and bless lives.

But what touched me most was what happened later when I shared this with my team to encourage them to never lose sight of the value of any task that leads to a life being touched; because someone went further by explaining how cassettes were made at the time. Indeed, it was he who ten years ago collected the recordings and duplicated the cassettes for sale. The cassette player sees ten years later, but before reaching heaven, one testimony among others of the usefulness of his service, a service that in the eyes of some at the time was most insignificant. It was my illustration made flesh with an improvement, he did not have to wait for heaven. The thanks came to earth. And CDs have also since replaced cassettes.

I was happy for him. We never do it alone. Everyone who arranged the chairs, set up the recording equipment, and made the photocopies of the classes has their share in the reward for the lives transformed. Their participation as facilitators made it possible for the Word to be taught. Often people expect the same people to do everything—preaching, praying, counseling, administrative tasks, practical tasks—and think they are blessed simply by coming to receive. This is false; we are more blessed by giving than by receiving.

I thank God for all the people who, in one way or another, have allowed me and continue to allow me to do what I do: preach the gospel and lead to the transformation of lives, taking their work as facilitators seriously. For all those lives touched, they have their reward. To all I say this, following Paul: Php 1:3-6 I thank my God in every remembrance of you, (4) always in every prayer for you all, (5) always making it known how joyful I am about your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. (6) I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Shalom!