Matthew 5:11-12

¹¹“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. ¹²Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
Matthew 5:11-12

I remember running a half marathon in Liverpool several years ago. I started well, enjoying the buzz of the race, overtaking people as we ran through the streets of the city. However, in my enthusiasm, I paced myself badly and after 9 miles my body was done. Everything inside me wanted to stop and to give up. However, I knew that I could not listen to that voice. It didn’t matter how fast or slow I ran, I would not stop running and I would not quit. So, I focused on the end of the race, counted down every mile and thought about the medal I would receive when I got there.

I often think that Christianity is a marathon and not a sprint. I want to still be going strong in another forty years, on fire for Jesus, sharing him with everyone that I meet and bringing light into the world around me. I want to finish strong. There have been times when I feel like I have had a great pace and energy in my faith and others when I have had to focus on the next step in front of me, refusing to stop. However, I would rather go slow now and finish strong than to burn out half way and give up everything. Simply continuing to move forwards is enough. This is why spiritual disciplines are so important.

Jesus encourages us to keep our eyes on the prize. He speaks of treasures in heaven. When we get to Heaven, we will all have everything that we need. All of the pains and challenges of this world will be washes away and healed. However, we will not all be equal in heaven. Some of us will have greater rewards than others. Jesus never goes into detail of the nature of these rewards. However, we know that God will reward us for our suffering here on Earth. He will bless us with heavenly riches.