🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ What Labor Will You Be Rewarded For?

Scripture: Revelation 22:12 KJV

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

Devotion :

In today’s world, everybody wants something for nothing.

People want recognition without doing anything worthy of recognition.

Promotion without putting in the work.

Praise without doing anything praiseworthy.

Blessings without obedience.

Rewards without labor.

Have you ever seen somebody expecting something they didn’t do what was necessary to receive?

Imagine somebody saying:

“I want everybody to call me DOCTOR!” 😂

Okay…

Did you go to school?

No.

Did you earn the degree?

No.

Did you complete the required training?

No.

Then where did DOCTOR come from?! 😂

You cannot expect the title while refusing the work required to obtain it.

And don’t get mad at the people who ARE laboring and working when you see them get rewarded for it.

Whewww! 😮‍💨

Sometimes we see somebody’s reward, but we didn’t see their labor.

We see the promotion but didn’t see the years they were dependable when nobody applauded.

We see the successful business but didn’t see the nights they stayed awake trying to figure out how to keep it alive.

We see somebody walking in their calling but didn’t see the years of prayer, preparation, sacrifice, rejection, obedience, and serving when nobody knew their name.

Don’t envy somebody else’s harvest when you don’t know what they had to plant.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

GET TO WORK!

We all have something to do.

And since today is Labor Day, this is a good day to talk about labor that goes far beyond our jobs.

You may be off work today…

But there is some work we cannot afford to take the day off from. 😮‍💨

Have you ever had to do a group assignment? 😂

Everybody in the group is supposed to contribute something toward the finished project.

But you already know how this sometimes goes!

Two or three people are researching, writing, putting everything together, correcting mistakes, staying up late, and making sure the assignment gets finished.

Meanwhile, somebody else in the group has contributed absolutely NOTHING.

Didn’t research.

Didn’t write.

Didn’t help.

Didn’t even answer the group text half the time! 😂

But when the assignment is finished and the teacher starts handing out the grades…

NOW THEY WANT THEIR NAME ON IT!

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Wait a minute!

YOU WANT CREDIT FOR WORK YOU DIDN’T DO?!

WHEWWWW!

And isn’t that a picture of what can happen in the Body of Christ?

The Bible teaches that we are one Body with different members, gifts, and functions.

Everybody isn’t called to do the same thing.

But everybody has something to do.

Some are praying.

Some are serving.

Some are giving.

Some are witnessing.

Some are teaching.

Some are encouraging.

Some are helping.

Some are working faithfully behind the scenes.

Some are using their gifts wherever God has placed them.

And then somebody else wants to sit back, contribute absolutely nothing to the Kingdom, and still expect the same credit and reward.

👀

THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS!

God isn’t grading a group project where everybody automatically gets credit because their name was on the church membership roll. 😮‍💨

You have an assignment too!

This isn’t just the pastor’s assignment.

This isn’t just the minister’s assignment.

This isn’t just the prayer team’s assignment.

This isn’t just the people who are always volunteering’s assignment.

WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST!

And if you are part of the Body, there is something God has given YOU to do.

So don’t sit back watching everybody else labor and then expect credit for the finished work.

GET TO WORK!

👏🏽🔥

Now let’s read today’s Scripture together:

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

OOOOOOEW WEEEEE! 😮‍💨🔥

Did you catch that?

“ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE.”

HIS WORK.

Not your pastor’s work.

Not your mama’s work.

Not the faithful person sitting beside you’s work.

YOUR WORK.

Although many don’t believe it…

JESUS IS COMING BACK.

And He says:

“MY REWARD IS WITH ME.”

Not according to what everybody said they were doing.

Not according to the image they created for people.

Not according to how impressive they looked.

Not according to how many people applauded them.

Jesus said:

“ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE.”

That ought to make all of us sit up a little straighter. 😮‍💨

Because God sees the work.

He sees what people don’t see.

He sees the labor nobody celebrates.

He sees the prayer nobody heard.

He sees the person you helped privately.

He sees the sacrifice you never posted.

He sees when you obeyed Him even though it cost you something.

He sees when you kept serving even when nobody said thank you.

And yes…

HE ALSO SEES WHEN WE ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING.

👀

Whewww!

We cannot spend our entire lives saying:

“God, bless me!”

while ignoring:

“God, what have You called me to DO?”

Everybody has an assignment.

Maybe your assignment isn’t behind a pulpit.

Maybe you’re raising children God entrusted to you.

That’s work.

Maybe you’re caring for someone who cannot care for themselves.

That’s work.

Maybe God has told you to forgive somebody and repair what you damaged.

That’s work.

Maybe He’s been telling you to serve, give, witness, study His Word, help somebody, use your gift, start something, finish something, or finally obey something He told you a long time ago.

WHAT WORK HAVE YOU BEEN PUTTING OFF?

👀

Because procrastination doesn’t complete assignments.

WORK DOES.

But there’s another side of this that we need to hear.

Some people are working VERY HARD…

AT THE WRONG THINGS.

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

You can labor for money.

Labor for status.

Labor for attention.

Labor to build an image.

Labor to impress people.

Labor to become popular.

Labor to prove everybody wrong.

Labor to accumulate possessions.

And wake up one day realizing you spent your life working hard for things you cannot take with you.

Jesus is coming with His reward.

So today’s question isn’t merely:

“Are you working?”

The question is:

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING FOR?

WHEWWWW! 🔥

Are you laboring for things that matter to God?

Are you helping people?

Are you sharing Christ?

Are you loving people?

Are you serving faithfully?

Are you using what God gave you?

Are you becoming who God called you to become?

Are you doing the assignment He placed in your hands?

Because one day, this life will be over.

The job title stays here.

The house stays here.

The car stays here.

The money stays here.

The social-media followers stay here.

The applause of people stays here.

But what we have done before God matters eternally.

🙏🏽

Now, let’s make something very clear.

WE ARE NOT SAVED BY OUR WORKS.

Salvation is God’s gift of grace received through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot work hard enough to earn salvation.

Ephesians 2:8–9 makes that clear.

But the very next verse tells us that we are:

“…created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” — Ephesians 2:10 KJV

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

So good works don’t purchase salvation.

Good works should flow from a life that belongs to Christ.

And Jesus says He is coming, and His reward is with Him.

That means what we’re doing with the life, gifts, opportunities, time, and assignments God has given us…

MATTERS.

My, my, my! 🙌🏽

And here’s something else:

STOP COMPARING YOUR LABOR TO SOMEBODY ELSE’S.

God didn’t tell you to complete their assignment.

He told you to complete yours.

Somebody may have a bigger platform than you.

So what?

Somebody may have more money.

So what?

Somebody may get more recognition.

SO WHAT?!

If God told you to serve ten people and you faithfully served those ten, BE FAITHFUL.

If God gave somebody else responsibility for thousands, that’s between them and God.

Your responsibility is to take whatever God placed in YOUR hands and faithfully work it.

Because when Jesus comes…

You don’t need somebody else’s reward.

YOU WANT TO BE FOUND FAITHFUL WITH YOUR OWN ASSIGNMENT.

🙌🏽🔥

And don’t become discouraged because you haven’t been rewarded yet.

Somebody needs this.

You have been working.

Praying.

Serving.

Giving.

Showing up.

Trying to do what’s right.

And it seems like nobody notices.

GOD DOES.

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

People may overlook you.

God sees you.

People may never thank you.

God sees you.

People may take credit for something you did.

GOD KNOWS WHO DID IT.

WHEWWWW! 🙌🏽🔥

You don’t have to spend your life chasing recognition from people when God keeps perfect records.

Keep working.

Keep serving.

Keep obeying.

Keep loving.

Keep praying.

Keep helping.

Keep using your gifts.

Keep doing what God assigned you to do.

Because Jesus said:

“MY REWARD IS WITH ME.”

Hallelujah! 🙌🏽

So on this Labor Day, while some of us are resting from our natural jobs, let’s examine our spiritual labor.

What are you doing with the life God gave you?

What are you doing with your gifts?

What are you doing with your time?

What are you doing with the opportunities He keeps placing before you?

And what assignment have you been expecting God to reward…

THAT YOU HAVEN’T ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING?

😮‍💨

Don’t get jealous.

Don’t get bitter.

Don’t complain about somebody else’s harvest.

Don’t sit around waiting for recognition.

GET TO WORK.

We all have something to do.

Jesus is coming.

And when He comes, He says His reward is coming WITH HIM.

So make sure the labor you’re doing now is labor you won’t be ashamed to place before Him later.

WHAT LABOR WILL YOU BE REWARDED FOR?

That’s something worth thinking about today. 🙏🏽

Ask yourself:

What has God given ME to do?

Am I actually doing it; or am I only talking about doing it?

Am I expecting rewards in areas where I haven’t been willing to put in the necessary work?

Am I jealous of someone’s reward while ignoring the labor that produced it?

Am I contributing my part to the Body of Christ, or am I expecting everybody else to do the work?

And most importantly:

IF JESUS RETURNED TODAY, WHAT WOULD MY WORK SAY ABOUT HOW I USED THE LIFE HE GAVE ME?

Don’t let that question just make you uncomfortable.

LET IT MOVE YOU.

If there’s work to do…

GET TO WORK. 🙌🏽🔥

Prayer :

Father God, thank You for the life, time, gifts, opportunities, and assignments You have placed in my hands.

Lord, help me to be faithful.

Forgive me for the times I wanted rewards without labor, recognition without service, blessings without obedience, or results without doing what was necessary.

Deliver me from laziness, procrastination, jealousy, entitlement, and comparison.

Show me what You have assigned me to do.

Help me stop watching everybody else’s work and faithfully tend to what You placed in my hands.

Lord, I don’t want to be part of Your Body while expecting everybody else to do the work.

Show me where I fit.

Show me where I can serve.

Show me how to use the gifts You have given me.

And give me the discipline to DO MY PART.

Don’t let me spend my entire life laboring for things that have no eternal value.

Teach me to work for what matters to You.

Help me love people.

Serve people.

Help people.

Share Jesus.

Use my gifts.

Obey Your Word.

And complete the assignments You have given me.

When nobody sees my labor, remind me that You see it.

When nobody applauds, remind me that You see it.

When somebody else gets the credit, remind me that You know the truth.

When I become tired, give me strength to continue.

And when my earthly labor is finished, Lord, I want to know that I faithfully used what You gave me for Your glory.

Jesus, You said You are coming quickly and Your reward is with You.

HELP ME TO BE READY.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏🏽🔥💙