Rewards for Following Jesus

 

John Struzzo – Prayer Center Assistant Coach/Recruiter

As a believer in Christ, the greatest reward is having a relationship with Jesus! I am so eternally grateful for this relationship which I enjoy, but it’s not all that God has given me. In Luke 18:29-30, Jesus says:

“No one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life” (NIV).

I can’t help but think of all the fellow believers God has put in my path who have been blessings to me. I have been able to bless others as well. I am thinking of one believer who has gone out of his way to pour encouragement in to my life. We used to work together, but God called him to a new assignment in a different state. He still prays for me and reaches out to me by text every Sunday to encourage me, share Scriptures and let me know he is praying for me. He is a true gift from the Lord, and I have benefitted from this relationship by being willing to follow Jesus!

My life has been enhanced and blessed by having such relationships in my life. And they will never end because I will be with these believers in Heaven. Thankfully, following Jesus leads to the ultimate destination of eternal life in Heaven with Him. I so look forward to that time. Apostle Paul looked forward to that time as well when he said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

God has been so good to me, and He has been my provider. He even let me know that He was my provider when I was wondering why I had not made as much money as I thought I should be making as a real estate agent, and why I had not been more successful. God clearly let me know that if He wanted to give me more houses to sell that He could do it. I received that message knowing that ultimately God is my provider.

For believers, let me encourage you to realize and count all the blessings you have in life that God has given you: you are part of the family of God and you get to go to Heaven and have eternal life with Christ and all other fellow believers. If you are not a believer, let me encourage you to become one so that you may also enter in to eternal life with Him and to be a part of the family of God here on earth and in the age to come!