This is a post by Klaus Brune who is a member of the TechServants ministry. Klaus is a Christian web developer and is the founder of PlowStr8.com. You can follow him on Twitter here.

Part of me really didn’t want to write on this topic. My reaction is probably the same as many of yours…

Does God really need to dangle a carrot on a stick in front of me, like I’m a donkey or something, to get me to do what He wants? Isn’t that kind of pathetic? Maybe even insulting?

He promised me Heaven and that’s good enough for me. Like the Elders in Revelation I will cast my crown at His feet in awe and admiration and love and worship (Rev 4:9-11). What reward do I need besides that?

And what do rewards have to do with a site about Evangelism, anyway?

[sws_pullquote_left] Do we only save people if we’re getting paid for it? [/sws_pullquote_left] Isn’t it a bit presumptuous to say we’re doing things for God because we’re expecting a reward? In my last article I was talking about how we want to save people because they’re in a burning building. Now what am I trying to say? That we only help people out of the fire if we’re getting paid for it?

Not at all. It’s more about being prepared, about cultivating an attitude, and especially an attitude that will help us go forward with a spirit of boldness and confidence. And those are things we will need as we encounter those who are less-than-accepting of the message we have to offer.

It’s another one of those paradoxes. Knowing about the rewards cultivates that attitude that moves us to do the things that will, consequently, end up being rewarded.

Ready to go for a ride? Let’s continue…

Do you have a problem accepting payment?

Have you ever tried to compensate someone for something they did for you, to show your appreciation for what they did, and they didn’t want to accept it?

Doesn’t feel very good, does it?

Have you ever been on the other end of that? You did something for someone, and they wanted to pay you and you refused? Have you thought that maybe your refusal hurt that person?

[sws_pullquote_right] Paying out wages is part of God’s plan. [/sws_pullquote_right] What if I told you that part of God’s very nature is to be a rewarder. (Hebrews 11:6). That paying wages to his workers is a part of His plan? Note that we’re not talking about the gift of salvation here.

In the above verse from Hebrews the actual Greek words used were mithos-apodidomai which is a combined idea of both a reward and wages.

Further, when you are doing something for which you know you will be rewarded because the scripture that tells you so is in your heart, this will give you the confidence and assurance and boldness to proceed in areas where you otherwise might not.

What better assurance that what you’re doing right now is God’s will for your life, when not only is it something that isn’t displeasing to God, it’s something he actually wants to pay you to do?

Keep it Secret

God is just as interested in why you’re doing something as He is in what you are doing. There is significance in your motives. When it is obvious to you as well as to Him (everything is obvious to God, of course), things change.

When you do things in private, where the only one who can see or hear or notice what you are doing is God Himself, He Himself will reward you because it’s clear that He is the only one who can reward this. After all, who knows about it but the two of you?

[sws_pullquote_right]When God is the only one who sees you, a reward is coming your way. [/sws_pullquote_right] There are some very specific things that Jesus talks about where He goes out of His way to say that if you do these things in private, you will be rewarded by God, but if you do them publicly, then you get your reward from men.

How do you Pray?

Jesus says when you go to your Father in Heaven, go into your closet and pray to your father in private, and He who sees what you do in secret will reward you openly.

Want to know how important prayer is? Take a careful look at Jesus and how much time He spent in prayer. Have a look at Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12

[sws_pullquote_right]Couldn’t you do without even ONE hour’s sleep, to spend time with your Lord? [/sws_pullquote_right] Do you think you’re praying enough? Is it effective? Let me ask you this… how long do you pray? Jesus once said to His disciples couldn’t you wait with me for even one hour? (Mark 14:37)

When is the last time you prayed for an hour? When in our modern hectic lives do we even have time to pray for an hour? Right?

This has been quite convicting for me personally. I mean, we’re talking about the opportunity to spend time with the one who created the whole universe, and we can’t be bothered because we don’t have the time? Are you kidding me?

The other challenge will be where to find this place and time where we won’t be disturbed and where it will be private. I got my clue from Jesus himself… He often went off by Himself to pray early in the morning.

First and foremost, prayer is about quality not quantity. Tweet



Now I don’t want you to get the impression that length of prayer is more important than the content. It’s about quality, not quantity. Jesus said we shouldn’t be like other religions, babbling the same words over and over endlessly (Matthew 6:7).

I’m not saying to spend more time with God in prayer because He will be impressed by that. I’m saying spend more time because we humans need more time to actually get to the point, to get to the point of experiencing a breakthrough.

One of my hurdles was, well, I want to devote some time to this but I don’t want to be setting a stopwatch or a kitchen timer. I mean, what am I, like a psychiatrist or something? Okay God, your time is up for today. See you again same time tomorrow?

[sws_pullquote_right] If the birds are chirping, then I overslept. [/sws_pullquote_right] One solution that seems to be working for me… I get up early and get into prayer before the sun comes up. Usually around 4:30. Then I get a subtle hint that it’s time to move on to the next part of the day when light starts coming through the window.

Now you’re thinking dude, that’s insane. I can’t get up that early. Hey, I know! I enjoy sleeping in as much as the next person. I’ve noticed some things about this experience that may be of interest…

Get up, already! Do you ever wake up early in the morning and then just lay there? Why not get moving instead and start the day? Especially if you have a heart to do this, to seek him, rest assured that God will get you up. He wants to spend time with you as much as you do with him. [sws_pullquote_right] LESS sleep equals MORE energy? Who would have thought? [/sws_pullquote_right] I actually find myself more energized by this time of prayer and get more things done than I would if I had slept in instead. It’s really amazing. It’s better than a double-espresso to go from Starbucks. I find myself amazed at how much more I get done, in less time than before. All those wasted years. I should have started this habit much sooner. No vain repetition. As I said early, quality is most certainly better than quantity — God doesn’t just want you babbling things at him endlessly. Don’t know what to say? Just be quiet. Feel His presence. Or ask Him what you should pray for. If you need a guide, go to the example prayer Jesus gave us. But don’t just repeat it. Note that rightbefore this example prayer Jesus just got done telling us don’t be like the pagans, babbling endlessly and repeating the same words over and over. Think and meditate about each phrase in that example prayer. [sws_pullquote_right]David’s Psalms are some great examples of how to pray. [/sws_pullquote_right] Read Psalms. David is called a man after God’s own heart. Christian bookstores are full of titles telling you how to pray. Yes, if you’re coming to God with a petition, it’s good to be able to come to Him with a promise from His Word so you know you’re praying His will. However, don’t turn your prayer into some sort of formula to get results. It’s more personal than that. Psalms is a great example of coming to God and just sharing with Him what’s on our minds and our hearts. Understand the power of prayer. Think about it. God created the universe you’re sitting in right now by speaking it into existence. Everything in Genesis 1 starts with God said. Jesus says ask for things in His name, then give thanks as if we’ve already received them. James says we don’t have things because we don’t ask for them, and we ask with the wrong motives.You know one thing I really hate? That phrase, well, ALL we can do is pray. Prayer is the most effective and most important thing we should be doing and most definitely the first thing we should be doing, not a last resort. Want more evidence on just how powerful this activity is? What if I told you that there are angels around you ready to spring into action when you give voice to God’s word and God’s will? Getting to bed earlier might not be a bad thing. If you spend the evening just vegetating in front of the TV because you’re too tired to do anything else, then perhaps it would be better to just turn the thing off and actually get some rest. Praying like this should not be a chore. It might start oft that way, but it won’t stay that way for long. How do I manage to get myself up early? Sure, doing it that way in the beginning may take willpower and discipline at the beginning, but it really doesn’t feel like that to me anymore. Do I really want to stay in bed and miss out on the part of the day that I now look forward to the most? [sws_pullquote_right]Miss out on the most important part of my day? NO WAY! [/sws_pullquote_right]No way! Remember Daniel? Even when he knew that if he got caught it would be a death sentence, there was no way he was going to miss out on his time with the Lord. Ask yourself, what was in those prayers? What would make a person THAT eager to seek His Presence? How much more so for those of us who have His Holy Spirit? It’s just the beginning. That first part of the day set aside for time alone with God is in no way the only time I spend with him that day. It’s just our private time. The whole day is pretty much an ongoing conversation as we’re side-by-side. That’s the companionship Enoch had when he walked with God. That’s what Paul talks about when he writes to pray without ceasing. It’s not about spending your whole day, every day, in a monastery on your knees.

Fasting with Attitude

Okay here’s a rough one, right? No one gets all eager and excited-looking when a pastor of a church starts talking about everyone going on a fast.

Again, this is one of the things Jesus mentions specifically that will be blessed if no one knows you’re fasting.

Fasting should go hand-in-hand with seeking God in other ways (like prayer). Just going without food while watching the game on TV might be a nice exercise in willpower, and it may be a sacrifice (of sorts), but it’s kind of missing the point, which is…

[sws_pullquote_right]There is MORE to fasting than just going without food. [/sws_pullquote_right] Have you ever been so into, so involved, with a hobby you enjoy or a project at work, so focused that you just skipped lunch because you weren’t even thinking about eating? This other thing was more important? That’s fasting.

It’s all about being so intense in your seeking after the Lord that you just can’t be bothered with food right now. Did I forget to eat breakfast again? Oops.

Giving – The Inside Joke

Another touchy subject, right? Don’t get between people and their wallets! When someone starts preaching about generosity from the pulpit, people start to think, oh here we go, now we’re finally getting to the bottom line.

I’m not actually talking about tithing here, or giving to the church. It could be that, but it’s so much more.

[sws_pullquote_right]Real giving is about being eager not feeling obligated. [/sws_pullquote_right] The Apostle Paul talks about giving according to your desire to give, not what you feel is your obligation. Now don’t read that and think yippee I don’t have to give 10% anymore. Remember when Jesus was watching people giving their offerings? Remember which one He took notice of and praised? What’s the kind of giving Jesus is really looking for? 100% (Matthew 12:43-44 & 19:21).

But again, don’t think this obligates you. It’s not about pressure. It doesn’t work if you don’t want to give, and do so eagerly. If these words do anything for you, perhaps it will be a desire to explore this further.

Why are these people so eager to give? Are they just utterly non-materialistic? Do they enjoy poverty or something? That’s just it – giving is an inside joke, and it’s hilarious when you understand what’s really going on.

[sws_pullquote_left] Are you putting money in the offering basket just to impress the ushers? [/sws_pullquote_left] When the offering comes around on Sunday, ask yourself, why are you putting something in there? So the people around you and the ushers can see what you’re putting in? Try this – let that plate go by and make an anonymous donation when no one notices. Put it in a blank envelope.

Does that idea sound appealing? Would you feel awkward NOT putting something in the offering basket? Then it might be time to examine your reason for giving. Jesus says that when we give we shouldn’t let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. That’s pretty clear, right?

Crack a smile already, will you?

Ever notice how serious everyone looks during the time of offering? Everybody gets happy and joyful when their favorite song or hymn comes around, but giving is supposed to be worship too, right?

Remember the phrase, God loves a cheerful giver?

The actual Greek word used here is hilaros so perhaps a better modern translation would be God loves a hilarious giver. As in, this should be funny to us.

It’s a joy to give, because the God we worship is a provider who not only promises to give us everything we need, He promises to pile it so high that we won’t even know what to do with all the stuff except give it away. When you’re eager to give, it means you finally get it.

[sws_pullquote_left] The inside joke that everyone should know.[/sws_pullquote_left] That’s the inside joke. Everyone is worried about all this stuff that we shouldn’t even be worried about at all. Jesus said seek first the Kingdom and God will take care of everything else. It’s a pretty famous verse. Most of us know it. There are even songs about it. And yet how many people are actually living it?

King David writes in his most well-known Psalm that his cup overflows. The cup didn’t overflow because God is wasteful. The cup overflowed because the blessings God wants to give us, the blessings he gave to David, are more than we need.

Why did God do this in the presence of David’s enemies? So that he could gloat? Why would He bless us where our enemies can see? That’s because the blessings are not intended just for us. David’s cup overflowed in the presence of his enemies not so that he could gloat, but so that he could be a blessing to his enemies.

Jesus says that not only are we supposed to be willing to lend to our enemies, we’re supposed to do so without expecting to be paid back. What happens when we do this? Our reward from Heaven will be very great.

If you read my last post, remember what I said about belief and acting on belief, and that maybe if you don’t act on something you hear then maybe you don’t really believe it? Read Luke 6. Read the whole chapter, because the context is important.

It may seem like a bunch of different ideas clumped together in one chapter, but it really all fits together.

Read it twice. Then read it again.

Try reading it in a different translation if you need to see it from a different angle.

Jesus says that when you give it will come pouring back into your lap. Do you believe this? When was the last time you went out of your way to give to someone, someone you maybe don’t even know, or don’t particularly like?

When was the last time you gave them more than they were expecting or asking for? Can you see yourself becoming so excited about this, that you actually want to go out and look for people you can give things to? This is the sort of thing God rewards.

I know the whole giving topic is an uncomfortable one. Brace yourself, it’s about to get more uncomfortable, and more comfortable at the same time. Yup, another one of those paradoxes. Here it is…

Jesus doesn’t promise that when you give, your reward will come to you in this life. This is not what is so popular in prosperity churches, where people are taught that their giving is a “seed” and wow, how your bank account will swell up like magic just because you were tithing. No. Jesus specifically instructs us to give so that we are storing up for ourselves treasures in Heaven.

How much treasure, exactly? 100 times as much. Jesus said wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be. Notice what comes first. It’s not your heart. It’s your treasure. It’s not a case of put your money where your heart is. It’s a case of investing your money in Heaven first, and your heart will follow.

Getting Teased and Bullied

There are plenty of more instances of rewards given in scripture, but I’ll wrap things up with a few related to evangelism.

When people despise us and ridicule us and persecute us, when they go out of their way to make things difficult for us because they want to prove to the rest of the World (and, for online evangelism, our social networks) just how stupid and closed-minded and unrealistic we are, rest assured that our reward will be very great. Jesus says so.

It doesn’t end there though.

What I’ve shared so far is the easy part of your treasure. Pray. Fast. Give. Get rewarded. Pretty cut and dry.

Now it gets personal.

If you’ve read this far, then we’ve weeded out the perhaps not-so-serious people that are just skimming to see if there’s anything interesting in this rather long piece, and if you’re still with me, you’re ready to get down to business. Right?

The scriptures I’ve shared so far have been pretty easy to take, compared to some of the things I shared in my prior post. No warnings about dire consequences for lack of performance. Yet. We’re about to get uncomfortable again. We just finished the salad and the soup. Now on to the steak and potatoes.

What we’ve talked about up until now are things God will reward you for when they’re done in private. What comes next are the things you should be doing in public.

[sws_pullquote_right] Three stewards get some money, their Master leaves, and then… [/sws_pullquote_right] Here’s another of Jesus’s teachings that I find convicting… have you heard the one where the Master gives money to some servants, and leaves, and when the Master comes back He wants an account of what His servants did with the money?

It’s actually in two places, Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. Do go ahead and follow the links and read those if you don’t remember the details. The links will open in a new browser so you won’t lose your place here.

Back already? They’re pretty similar parables, right? If you read along in your non-electronic paper Bible, and you have a cross-referencing system there, you may have noticed that these are linked.

[sws_pullquote_right]I sure don’t want to be that servant with one talent. The Master sounds pretty miffed. [/sws_pullquote_right] Now for most of my Christian walk, I’ve always thought that these two parables, with minor differences, are pretty much saying the same thing.

The thing that bothered me most IS the same in both of these stories… the servant who did nothing with the thing that was put into his care did not receive a very warm greeting from his Master upon his return. To put it mildly.

What is frequently in MY prayers is…

Lord, I don’t want to be that servant! Show me what you’ve given me and show me what I need to do with it. I want to hear you say “Well Done”

Here’s the thing though. These parables are not the same. Yes, the consequences for doing nothing is the same. But what is expected, and what is rewarded, are quite different. Let’s compare.

First, depending on your translation, you might be reading pieces of silver, or talents, or mithras. For the sake of clarity I’ll just call it all silver here.

[sws_pullquote_right]Here, everyone gets an EQUAL share. [/sws_pullquote_right] In Luke, we actually start out with TEN servants given ONE silver each. Note that we also get told that some of these were rebellious and even from the beginning, didn’t even accept that they had any responsibility at all. Only THREE of the ten even bothered to call in him Master or Lord. The rest denied that He even had authority over them. Yet they each got the same ONE silver.

Note that each servant in this parable gets an EQUAL amount, and it’s just ONE. One servant turns that into TEN, and the Master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. The next servant turns his ONE into FIVE and gets rewarded, but though he does get told “Well done” he doesn’t get called “Good and faithful”. I’m left with the feeling that the Master knows this particular servant could have done better. The one who does nothing with his ONE gets it taken away from him.

Now in Matthew, the situation is different. There are only THREE servants, perhaps the same three as in Luke’s story. The seven who did not accept the Master’s rulership over them are conspicuously absent. Also,this time the servants all get different starting amounts. The last servant ends up with the same bad result, so lets compare the first two, to see how they differ.

The first servant gets FIVE silver, and doubles that to TEN.

The second starts with TWO silver, and doubles that to FOUR.

Notice that they both get the SAME praise from the Master, “Well done, Good and Faithful Servant.”

Here it is: In Luke’s parable, we’re talking about something everyone gets. ONE LIFE. How many LIVES were you able to show the Master, with the ONE that is given you? This is EVANGELISM.

[sws_pullquote_right]Everyone gets ONE life, but different gifts, talents, and opportunities. What God wants you to do with your LIFE is what He expects from everyone, what he wants you to do with YOUR personal, individual resources will vary according to how much He’s given you. [/sws_pullquote_right] Matthew’s account, on the other hand, is a parable talking about something believers get (notice that the 7 who didn’t even want to call Jesus their Lord are not here): Spiritual gifts, earthly talents, and even material possessions. These VARY with each person, and the more is given to you, the more is expected. Notice how each servant who got a “Well done” DOUBLED what he was given. The one who started with TWO wasn’t expected to come back with TEN, like the servant did who started off with FIVE. In this case, what is expected from you is PROPORTIONAL to what you’ve been given.

So here’s where it gets personal.

What are you doing with your LIFE? What are you doing with your GIFT/TALENT?

Finally, notice the rewards. More responsibility.

Think of what what Heaven would be like for you, if all you get to do is go sit on that couch over there – for all eternity. Sure, you escaped the flames, but wouldn’t you rather be doing something? Paul gives us a hint about this when he writes some people will be saved, but suffer loss, that it will be like narrowly escaping from a fire that just burned down your house and all your possessions (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Don’t let that be YOU.

A Call to Action

The links above are all links to scripture. If some of my passion rubbed off on you, I hope and pray that it’s a passion to explore further what God has for you, by diving into his Word for yourself. And if you discover something of interest that hasn’t been covered here, then please do leave a comment and share it with us.

[sws_pullquote_right] What? Even MORE writing? [/sws_pullquote_right] See anything here that you’d like me to expand on in the future? Let me know. This post has already gone way long and I’m just barely scratching the surface.

Oh and since in theory my limit is supposed to be around 300-500 words (hah hah, good luck with that one Klaus) if you actually found this writing to be interesting enough to make it all the way down to the bottom, I’d love to hear about that. Knowing how many people visited a page isn’t the same as knowing how many people actually read most of it, right?

[main image via Matt Gruber]