It’s true that wholesome blessings often come into the lives of people who choose Christianity.
But gaining earthly blessings should never be the reason to confess Christ as Savior with our words and baptism.
And any evangelistic message we share should speak most to eternal blessings, not earthly blessings.
Why? Because the latter are not guaranteed.
And when they do happen, the level of blessing from Christian to Christian varies SO widely depending on circumstances, personality, maturity level, Kingdom purposes, etc.
When it comes to eternal blessing, though, EVERY Christian will receive the same gift of eternal life. There will be no “uptown” heaven and “other side of the tracks” heaven. We all will be in the presence of God wearing the same white robes in a place so marvelous that we can’t even comprehend it.
Yes, we should rejoice and be thankful when earthly blessings come our way.
But Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that we could have earthly blessings.
He died so that we might have life eternal.
“The LORD redeems his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:22)
The Apostle Paul wrote that Christians should be the most pitied people on the planet if the reason for their self-denying lifestyle had no eternal reward.
He knew that temporary blessings in this life — and he experienced them along with some really hard times — were nothing compared to the ultimate blessing of being with God forever in heaven.
This truth is why Psalm 34:22 is so encouraging.
It’s so much more important that God redeems His servants into the next life rather than simply give them stuff in this life.
Yes, some ministries unfortunately place a huge emphasis on linking material wealth with spiritual practices. It’s actually embarrassing to see such “carrot”-based conformity pressures being displayed in the media to the glee of Satan who tempted Jesus to see wealth as more valuable than faith.
Jesus got it right, though. He focused on the forever, not the “now or never.”
Listen, stuff decays. A soul that seeks refuge in God’s promises won’t.
Ever.
This is the greater blessing.
This is what should compel us to focus upon spiritual gain, not material.
This is the Good News we are called to share — hope that will take wing forever.
As always, I love you
Martin
