Bruce Wilkinson wrote A LIFE GOD REWARDS, examining the statements of Jesus about rewards in Heaven. Wilkinson concludes Heaven will be loaded with rewards. God will lavish rewards on you for things you do for Him. But isn’t it wrong for you to WANT rewards? Wouldn’t it be better to serve God without thinking about rewards? The answer may surprise you: NO! God LONGS to reward you—and He wants you to LONG to be rewarded! This is completely different from coveting riches on earth. Why? Because longing for heavenly rewards is AN ACT OF FAITH.
There is NOTHING selfish about desiring rewards you cannot see, that will be given to you in a heaven you have never visited, during an eternity you cannot possibly imagine.
Longing for heavenly rewards is living by faith, just as Jesus lived. See Heb. 12:2.
It is not ‘just okay’ for you to desire rewards—God WANTS you to desire heavenly rewards. He wants to reward you, and He wants you to be excited about it. But if God LONGS to lavish rewards on you, and He wants you to LONG for those rewards, how can you earn those rewards? Short answer: Live a righteous life of surrender to His will, and submission to His word.
“The righteous… STILL BEAR FRUIT IN OLD AGE, healthy and green, they declare: ‘The Lord is just. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him’” Psalm 92:12-15.
Obey God and serve Him every day—that will earn you many rewards. AND it will likely extend your life (as you avoid bad choices), resulting in many more years in which to earn rewards. And remember: GOD LONGS for you to LONG for Heavenly rewards. That motivation requires FAITH and, after a lifetime of serving Him, heavenly rewards will actually become your deepest longing.
Finally, this truth illustrates what may be the greatest failure of “health and wealth”/“prosperity gospel” teachings: the pointless obsession with rewards on earth leads to a complete neglect of rewards in heaven[1].
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[1] P.S. When was the last time you heard a preacher of the so-called “prosperity gospel” encourage his flock by preaching about rewards in heaven? Instead, a single “prosperity” sermon may include a dozen phrases such as “your best days are yet to come,” “things are about to turn around,” “those bills are gonna be paid,” etc. The truth—as anyone sitting in those audiences knows—is that sometimes things do not turn around. Sometimes the bill does not get paid and the car gets repossessed. Sadly, many then draw the discouraging conclusion that things did not “turn around,” because they did not have enough faith.
By contrast, a message based on scripture can encourage those with problems, even when they do NOT magically improve:
“Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing. Don’t think that some strange thing is happening to you alone. For the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren all over the world. Rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ!” 1 Peter 4:12.
Household Words: 