The Most Rewarding Reward (A Reason for Running)

What would it take to motivate you to run 100 miles? Recently I was in a class with a woman who went away one weekend with her family. They were all going to support her husband when he ran the Heartland 100 race in Cassoday, Kansas. This guy was running a 100 mile race!

Everyone who runs the Heartland 100 in less than 30 hours receives a prize. What would be a fitting reward for such an athletically admirable feat? Maybe $10 for every mile you ran, or your name in Sports Illustrated, or a phone call from the president?

Actually, the prize for completing the Heartland 100 is a custom designed, two-toned belt buckle. You run 100 miles in less than thirty hours, and all you get is a decorative piece of metal that holds your pants up! Would that motivate you to run 100 miles?

My guess is that most people competing in that grueling race are not in it just for the belt buckle. I think there must be a deeper motivation that causes those athletes to train for months before the race. There must be a greater reward they see ahead at the finish line that keeps them going mile after mile.

The ancient Olympic runners were motivated to run long races too, and their only tangible reward was a crown of laurel leaves that was placed on their heads by the Emperor. It was this crown, the stephanos, that Jesus referred to when He said, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Re velation 3:11).

Here Jesus is cheering us on, encouraging us to endure to the end of the race. He tells us that there is a crown waiting for us if we do. But is He trying to motivate us to run just to receive a golden victory band?

What do you think the reward is that Jesus is bringing with Him? Is it precious enough to keep you running when the race gets more challenging, and when you feel like you are out of energy and can’t go on? Our view of the reward that lies ahead must be something bigger than a harp and a crown. Trying to motivate ourselves with mansions or mangos from the tree of life will not carry us through the toughest parts of our race.

It seems that from childhood, I was taught to picture the material rewards of heaven to motivate myself to want to be there. I learned songs like, “I’ve got a mansion, just over the hilltop...” and teachers helped me paint vivid pictures in my imagination of sliding down giraffes’ necks, being able to fly to distant planets, and designing my dream house (which included a tree house with a stream running through it in one part, and glass walled underwater rooms in another part).

Sadly, many of the friends I grew up dreaming those dreams with seemed less and less motivated to run the race the older we got. They weren’t interested in exerting themselves for the reward they thought they were running toward. I don’t blame them for not feeling motivated to run the Christian race just to get a mansion and a life of ease. There are people all around us here on earth who already have that kind of reward. If that’s all you’re running for, why not just strive to get your mansion here and plant a mango tree in the back yard?

There is something far more rewarding at the finish line of the Christian race than the material prizes of Heaven. I wish that those childhood friends understood what our true reward is, because if they did, I believe there would be many more still running along beside me.

So what is our true reward, the one that is worth running for? The writer of Hebrews encourages us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1, 2). To get a better picture of why we are running this race, we should look to our example, Jesus.

Jesus is a veteran race runner. He successfully finished His race here on Earth, and the Bible tells us He did that by focusing on the reward He would receive at the end of the race. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Focusing on the reward before Him gave Jesus the strength to go through the mental and emotional agony of Gethsemane, the mockery and abuse of a rigged trial, betrayal by his closest friends, and the torture of Calvary. It enabled Him to stay on the cross, even though He could have taken Himself off through His own power at any moment He chose. Focusing on the joy that was set before Him, empowered the Author of Life to lay down to sleep in death, even though His Father seemed to have forsaken Him and He couldn’t see through the grave to the resurrection morning.

What was “the joy that was set before Him”? I used to think it was connected to the last statement in verse 2, “and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” At first glance, it seemed that Jesus must have been focused on the fact that if He went through the crisis before Him, He would be able to go back to heaven and sit down on the throne again with His Father. But was Jesus’ greatest reward going back to heaven again to sit on the throne in paradise and receive the worship of the angels?

One day it struck me that Jesus could have gone back to heaven at any time He chose. He didn’t need to endure the cross to return to the throne and enjoy the companionship of His Father. In fact, if being on the throne in the perfect environment of heaven was Jesus’ ultimate reward, why did He ever leave in the first place? The joy that was set before Him must have been something that Jesus could not have had unless he went through the crisis of the cross that was before Him.

The reward that kept Jesus going through the hour of His greatest trial was you and me. Without going through the cross, Jesus could not have enjoyed a personal relationship with us, because our sinfulness separates us from our God (Is. 59:2). Without enduring the crisis of Calvary, Jesus could not have brought us into His glorious physical presence to enjoy face to face communion with Him, or we would be destroyed (2 Thess. 2:8; Ex. 33:20). And without His death for us, our sin would lead to eternal death, and He would miss the joy of spending eternity with us (Romans 6:23). The reward that motivated Jesus to go through the crisis of the cross was a personal relationship with us, in His physical presence, forever.

The Bible says that we also have a reward coming if we endure the crisis that is ahead of us. Like Jesus, if we focus on that reward, we will be prepared to endure to the end. “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

What is the reward that Jesus is bringing with Him? I’d like to suggest that the reward Jesus is bringing for us is the same reward that motivated Him to go through the crisis of the cross. When He comes, He will bring each one of us the reward of a personal relationship with Him, in His physical presence, forever. The reward He is bringing is Himself. In that light, the thought of Revelation 22:12 would be, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward IS ME.”

Jesus is our reward! Looking at what the Bible says about what we need to do to receive that reward might help us understand how this is true. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

It doesn’t say He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek His rewards. “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Sometimes we try to motivate ourselves to “make it to heaven” by thinking about the mansions we will have, the freedom from pain and toil, or the ability to fly. But the Bible says God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Diligently seeking the person of God - His friendship and companionship - will lead us to the reward that He has promised.

I wasn’t there, but I can imagine that my classmate was waiting to embrace her husband as he came across the finish line of the Heartland 100. And my guess is that he was more excited about sharing the joy of victory with his family than he was to run to the tent for his belt buckle. His focus on the real reward kept him going for over 24 hours and 100 miles.

Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the real prize in the race we’re running. A personal relationship with Him, in His physical presence, forever is worth every step of the race we run during our lifetime on Earth. I think I can hear Him cheering us on from the finish line just around the next bend. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward IS ME!”

Preparing for His Appearing

“The Current Financial Crisis – Are We Trapped?” The title of the breakout session at the men’s conference I was attending jumped out from the page of seminar choices. Although the breakout session had been planned for months, the topic had taken on even greater significance just that week. It was September 20, 2008, and as we met in the gymnasium of the local boarding academy, the United States Congress was meeting in the Capitol Building to plan an emergency bailout package. The previous week had seen the collapse of Wall Street giant Lehman Brothers, the buyout of Merrill Lynch, and the plunge of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

I decided to go to the breakout. Through an hour-long presentation, the answer to the seminar title’s question, “Are We Trapped?” became increasingly clear. “Yes.” However, the question that was most important to me had not been answered in the session. It was clear that there was a serious crisis before us, and that a global economic crisis could rapidly lead to the fulfillment of Revelation 13’s prophecy “that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast”. But my question was, What should I do right now to prepare for the coming crisis?

Jesus told His disciples that there would be a time of great crisis before His second coming. “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). So the crisis is coming, and the question is, how do we prepare for this troubling time at the end of earth’s history?

Should I be starting to stockpile provisions in a mountain cabin somewhere? Do I need to diligently track every movement of political and religious leaders, looking for evidence of the end? Will understanding the secret plots of all the conspiracy theories ensure I will be ready when that day comes?

Sometimes thinking about all of the turmoil ahead can make you want to run away and hide in a cave somewhere. Jesus predicted that seeing the signs of His soon return would fill men with fear. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25,26).

So what did He say to do when we began seeing these signs fulfilled? Did He say to run away? Did He say to look around at all the distress on the earth? No, He said, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). His directions for preparation are, “look up and lift up your heads”, for I am drawing near.

When we see the signs of Jesus coming, it is time to really look to Jesus. When we focus on Him, our hearts will become like Paul’s – eager for Jesus’ return. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ...” (Philippians 3:20).

Eagerly anticipating Jesus coming isn’t just a nice escape for those who don’t want to think about the serious realities of the end times. In fact, Paul says that all who will receive Christ’s reward on the day He comes again will “love his appearing”. “Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

We don’t need to start saying, “Okay, so if I want to get the crown, I need to start loving His appearing.” Loving His appearing is not another character trait to be fabricated by our efforts. How you feel about His return is a reflection of what is really happening in your heart toward Jesus. There is a natural relationship between loving Jesus, and loving the fact that He is coming back.

Love for Jesus is the common character trait of all who receive that crown Jesus has promised. The most essential preparation for the days ahead of us is a heart that is truly in love with Jesus. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

He’s coming soon, and I’m loving that thought more and more every day. Don’t you want to fall more in love with Jesus too?

The Backwards Birthday Party

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Joshua who had a birthday. His parents planned a party for him, and he invited all of his friends to come and celebrate. The day of the party came, and everything was ready. There was a big cake, party hats, noisemakers, banners and balloons. Over in one corner of the room, was a big pile of presents, all neatly wrapped, each one labeled with the name of one of the invited guests. Josh had bought an expensive gift for each of his friends using his own money. His piggy bank was cleaned right out!

Josh waited eagerly as the hour approached when his friends would arrive. Soon the doorbell rang, and the first little boy was welcomed into the home. He carried a bright red box, wrapped with a green bow. Josh’s mother directed him to place his present on a table off to one side of the room and go play in the living room. The bell rang again, and one by one, the children began to arrive. Each child came in with a gift, neatly wrapped with colorful wrapping paper and a bow, and deposited their package on the growing pile on the table.

Everything sounds pretty normal so far, right? But as the afternoon continued on, it became clear that this was a backwards birthday party. Take the cake for example. One of the dads dropped off his son, marched over to the cake, and crossed out Josh’s name where it said, "Happy Birthday Josh." Then he wrote his son’s name instead. The party games were mixed up too. It was clear that all the invited guests were having a wonderful time playing together, but no one was paying any attention to the birthday boy who had invited them. Josh kept trying to join in the game they were playing, but they pushed him out, saying they didn’t want him to play.

After the guests amused themselves for a while with the games, they ate the cake, and excitedly turned their attention to the pile of presents on the table. Finally, it seemed like Josh would have a chance to enjoy his own birthday. But as absurd as it may sound, when Josh went to choose the first gift, he couldn’t find a single one with his name on it. The guests had all bought presents for each other, but no one had brought a gift for Josh! Instead of complaining, he kindly handed out the gifts to the children whose names were on them.

Soon they were all eagerly opening the gifts that they had brought for each other. There were a couple of little plastic cars, some bouncy balls, yo-yo’s, dolls, a puzzle, candy, and other assorted items you might find at the local dollar store. Each child took their turn tearing the wrapping paper off their gifts, shouted joyfully when they saw what was inside, and sincerely thanked the giver for their wonderful gift. A few minutes of fun were had by all as they tried out their new toys.

After the children opened their presents from each other, Josh excitedly led them over to the other pile of gifts. "These," he explained, "are the gifts that I’ve bought for you. I’m glad you came to my party, and I hope you like them." Now these were no cheap dollar store gifts. Josh had sacrificed all the money he had saved up and chosen each gift carefully with a specific friend in mind. With expectant eyes, he took each of his guests’ gifts and handed it to them personally, hoping they would be happy with what he had chosen for them.

As the first little girl pulled off the wrapping paper, the corners of Josh’s mouth turned up in anticipation, but his heart sank when she wrinkled her nose in disgust and dropped the gift on the floor. The next little boy let out a loud sigh as he saw what was inside his package. With each gift he passed out, Josh had the same look of anticipation, hopeful that they would appreciate the gift he’d paid so much to get them. But one by one the children opened their presents with similar reactions of disappointment, apathy, or disgust. One little girl refused to even open her gift. Another boy was so busy playing with his plastic yo-yo that he didn’t even notice Josh trying to give his gift to him. No one even said a polite thank you.

Finally, it came time for the last little girl, Kristina, to open her gift. She peeled back the wrapping paper and peeked underneath it with a quizzical look on her face. There were no flashing lights, beeps, or buttons. She recognized a familiar object that her parents and some of her friends owned. She knew it was expensive, but it was familiar, quite ordinary.

At first she wasn’t too impressed, but then she looked up and saw the expression on Josh’s face. She thought about the gift she had seen, and it struck her that someone had paid a high price for that gift. As she saw the intense hopeful earnestness with which Josh was looking at her, a flash of recognition crossed her face. She realized that it was Josh who had paid for it with his own money, and that he had done it just for her. Her mouth fell open, and she jumped up with a squeal and ran over to hug Josh. "Thank you Josh! Thank you so much!" she cried.

The other children peered curiously at Kristina, wondering what was wrong with her. They could plainly see that the gift she had in her hand was the same thing they had all received. They began to mock and ridicule her for her unnecessary excitement. One of the parents chatting in the group behind the children scolded her, saying, "Kristina, stop carrying on so loudly about the gift. Some of the other children didn’t like it, and you might offend one of them." But in spite of the misunderstanding and discouragement of the others around her, Kristina gratefully held the gift close and wouldn’t let it go.

Sound a little far fetched? It might. But Joshua, or should I say Jesus, has a birthday party like that each year. We say that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth. But do we celebrate like it is his birthday party, or like it is our own? For the majority of the world, Christmas is just a time to give gifts to each other, enjoy a few holiday traditions with family, and trick the kids into thinking their gifts come from Santa Clause. And those who do want to celebrate Jesus’ birthday are often discouraged from doing so openly because it might offend those who don’t appreciate Jesus.

The point I’m trying to make is not that we shouldn’t give gifts to each other at Jesus’ birthday party. Yes, we should avoid going to extremes just to keep up with the current fads and fashions of the world. I don’t think Jesus wants us to celebrate His birthday by going into debt, or giving each other things we don’t really need, while neglecting the poor around us who don’t even have the basic necessities. But giving gifts can help us to practice the selflessness that Jesus demonstrated by the way he celebrated his own birthday.

For Jesus, the most exciting part of His birthday party is the gift that He has bought for us. Jesus was not born to get something from us, but to give the most precious gift that has ever been given. Like Josh, He paid everything He had for this gift. He gave up the glory of Heaven, traded His divine appearance for a human body, left the joy of His Father’s physical presence, and suffered insult, abuse, and a torturous death (Philippians 2:5-8). And that high price was paid for every person, even though he knew that some people wouldn’t value it, some would choose to reject it, and some would be so distracted that they wouldn’t even notice Him giving them the gift.

The more time we spend dwelling on that selflessness that Jesus showed, the more we will appreciate it, and the more we will be motivated to selflessly serve Him and others. This year, commit to spending time with Him every day considering that amazing gift that He has given. Take a long look at his unconditional love, as demonstrated by his sacrifice on behalf of the very men who were nailing Him to the cross (Luke 23:34). Spend time talking with Him about what He has done for you. Thank Him for His gift.

Most gifts are lost, broken or forgotten by next Christmas. But this gift will become more valuable to you with use. Hold it tightly. After a whole year of this daily dwelling on His great gift, you will definitely be a Kristina. I guarantee you, Jesus’ next birthday party will be the best one yet.