Threaten me with Heavenly Reward

Verse of the day: Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus was called a Samaritan, a devil; told He was mad, mocked and reviled on the cross; yet, He never returned same. Yes, our Savior, the only Perfect Man to walk this earth, was mistreated, called names, made fun of, and falsely accused, because He was righteous, lived righteously, and refused to follow the ways of the world. He did not change the way He dressed or the way He talked. He did not use language that was unbecoming of the Gospel. He did none of these things to "fit in" or "win" people over for the sake of the Gospel. Instead, He lived the life that His Father sent Him here to live, and ultimately give His life, for our sake, in order to pay for our sins, and purchase for us eternal life. With all that said, let us stop, look in the mirror, and ask ourself, "How am I doing in comparison?" "Am I looking like the rest of the world, and compromising who I am supposed to be, just so that people won't talk about me, reject me, and say things about me that aren't true?" "Am I acting like the world, and deceiving myself into thinking that this is how I'll win them?" Well, if the answering to any or all of these is, "Yes", then something must change, right now. As born again believers, there are certain things we can do, that are not sinful to do (such as celebrating certain holidays or going to certain events, such as family gatherings, weddings, etc.) that we can partake in, and that can present opportunities to share Christ with family, and friends. However, we are called to live holy, and separated lives (meaning that we not behave as the world does). That means that our manner of behavior, our language, and how we treat others (regardless of who they are or what they have done to us) should be different than how the world does it. We are supposed to, as time goes on, become more and more like Jesus in who we are. Just as He suffered many things because of who He was, we too should expect the same, and be willing to suffer, if necessary, as He did, for His sake, and the sake of the Gospel. Ultimately, we will receive reward, in Heaven, that far exceeds anything that this world has to offer. Remember what Jesus' end was? After being received with cries of, "Hosanna!", He was later put to death with the cries of, "Crucify Him!" Yes, the very people whom we seek favor from, and deny our Savior for, may be the very people who betray us, hurt us, insult us, and forsake us. It is better to suffer for a short while, for Jesus sake, than to forfeit rewards that will last for eternity. Let us live for Jesus, and leave the consequences to Him. Not only will He reward us in Heaven, but He will never leave us nor forsake us here on earth.