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Have you ever looked at your circumstances and wondered, "Is serving God really making a difference?"
Perhaps you have prayed and haven't seen the answer yet. You have tried to do what is right, put God first and live according to His Word, yet difficulties still come.
Meanwhile, someone who gives little thought to God may appear to be prospering.
The Bible gives us an answer every Christian needs to settle in his heart:
It pays to serve the Lord
First Timothy 4:8 says, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."
Godliness is not just the right way to live; it is the way to a profitable, abundant life. Jesus said in John 10:10, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
There is blessing, benefit and increase connected with living for God, and this truth runs throughout Scripture.
Psalm 1 says of the righteous man, "whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psalm 84:11 says, "no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Proverbs 28:20 says, "A faithful man shall abound with blessings." Joshua 1:8 says, "thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
Jesus Himself said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
There is nothing wrong with believing what God plainly said.
God wants to bless His people. He wants His children to prosper in the purposes He has given them. That prosperity can touch our families, work, finances, health, relationships, peace of mind and our ability to bless others.
But biblical prosperity does not mean a Christian will never experience trouble.
Joseph prospered, but before governing Egypt he was betrayed and imprisoned. Job was blessed, yet passed through tremendous suffering. Paul knew both abundance and hardship. Jesus taught that those who follow Him receive blessing "with persecutions."
Hardship does not prove that God's promises have failed. Sometimes payday simply hasn't arrived yet.
Galatians 6 reminds us that "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
So keep sowing faithfulness, generosity, integrity, prayer, obedience, kindness and service. There is a harvest attached to the seed.
The reward will not always look the same. Sometimes God prospers us financially. Sometimes the blessing is wisdom that saves us from a costly mistake. Sometimes it is a strong marriage, children who serve God, favor in our work, peace in a storm, strength during suffering, or supernatural provision when we don't know where the answer will come from.
And sometimes the full reward will not be seen until eternity.
God keeps perfect books.
Hebrews 6:10 says, "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love."
He has not forgotten one prayer you prayed, one gift you gave, one person you helped, one sacrifice you made or one act of obedience offered to Him.
So don't become discouraged because you haven't seen everything yet. Keep serving God. Keep doing what is right. Keep believing His promises.
You will never lose by putting God first
But there is an important distinction. The true Christian does not serve God merely to become wealthy, important or admired.
Worldly wealth is not the goal. Worldly esteem is not the goal.
Jesus is the goal
In Genesis 15:1 God told Abraham, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."
After walking with God long enough, we discover something wonderful: we may have started out thinking mostly about what God could give us, but eventually we realize that the greatest blessing He ever gave us was Himself.
Beyond every blessing of this present life stands the promise of eternity.
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, there is no greater decision you can make. We have all sinned and need a Savior. Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and offers forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who will believe upon Him.
You can begin serving Him today.
And if you already know Christ but have become weary, discouraged or disappointed, don't quit.
Your present circumstance is not the end of the story.
God is faithful. His Word is true. His promises still belong to those who trust Him.
Godliness is profitable. Faithfulness has a reward. God honors those who honor Him.
There is blessing in this life and eternal reward in the life to come. And above every other blessing stands the greatest reward of all:
God Himself.
It pays to serve the Lord.
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Gary Bailey began preaching in 1977. Since 2020, Brother Bailey and his wife Gwen have been pastors at Light Ministries Church in Lewistown. Their emphasis is worship, the preaching of the Word of God, prayer and spiritual gifts, family and fellowship. You are welcome to visit in person at 181 Caldwell Hill Rd., Lewistown, Sundays at 10 a.m. Visit Facebook at Light Ministries Church for livestream service. Contact Pastor Gary at gbmin@mac.com.