When I think about what I will inherit in heaven, I become somewhat uncomfortable. It is partly due to the fact that I don’t know what kind of rewards God will be handing out. I’m sure it will be something unimaginably great, but without something finite to go on for right now, it becomes a little difficult to look forward. The other part is the fact that I may not receive much reward at all for my service here in this life. Now I know that every believer will receive some inheritance and heaven will be the portion of all, but rewards will vary. I know I’m trying my best to be faithful and courageous in my faith, but for some reason I know that I won’t be cashing in big time when I arrive at the throne of God. Now the smart ones out there are probably saying right now that it shouldn’t matter because we will be laying everything down before God anyways. I believe that’s true, but I still want to have a lot to offer, if you will.
Now the question that will really cook this noodle is this: Is it wrong to strive after earning reward in heaven? Now, again I think the thinkers out there will be slow to say “no” to this question. After all, our rewards in heaven are simply symbols of our service to God, giving God the glory, not us. And we will be laying those crowns down at the throne anyways, giving God even more glory. So if our inheritance is simply a mirror of God’s glory, then why would it be wrong to strive for those things. After all, the things we would be striving for would be obedience, service, love, holiness, etc. It’s not wrong to live for those things, but is it considered selfish to live for God with eternal reward in mind? I’ll let that simmer for today and conclude tomorrow, but I’m interested in what anyone thinks about this.