Our Deeds Will Follow Us

"And (the angel) said in a loud voice,

'Fear God and give him glory,

because the hour of his judgment has come,

and worship him who made heaven and earth,

the sea and the springs of water.'

. . .And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever,

and they have no rest, day or night,

these worshipers of the beast and its image,

and whoever receives the mark of its name.'

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints,

those who keep the commandments of God 

and their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying,

'Write this: 

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'

'Blessed indeed,' says the Spirit,

'that they may rest from their labors,

for their deeds follow them!'"

Revelation 14:7,11-13 ESV

He spent his high school years having fun, focusing on friends more than academics, choosing partying in the place of studying, and favoring pleasure over discipline.  As a result, when the time came to submit college applications, he didn't have much of substance to include on his resume and failed to gain entry into any institute of higher learning.  The choices made in his earlier years followed this young man into the future.

In a similar way, the way I live my life doesn't just impact this temporary life.  Even though the time of judgment is not yet here, it is coming.  Therefore, I would be prudent to pay attention to the warnings of what is to come.  The decisions I make now will stay with me for eternity.

Patiently Endure

I felt like someone was watching me from the treeline.  My stalker's eyes followed my every move as he stayed on the lookout, biding his time until he saw his opportunity to attack.  When my defenses were down and I least expected it, the lion pounced on his prey.

While I've never really been assaulted by the king of the jungle, I have endured many attacks from the Evil One.  Satan has been compared to a prowling lion who is constantly on the lookout for someone to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8)  As a result, I must be aware of his schemes, remembering that the Spirit of God is greater than he. (1 John 4:4)

My willingness to patiently endure the temptations placed in my path by the Enemy of my soul will have eternal consequences.  Therefore, when things don't go my way and I am tempted to blame God for my hard times, I can instead resist the urge and accept my present circumstances as a tool the Master is using to mold me into the image of Christ.  (James 4:7)

Or when I feel the urge to give into anger and take my frustrations out on the ones I love the most, I can instead keep my eyes on the One who holds all things in His hand and will not let me fall.  Even when I am attracted to fleshly desires that will harm my walk with Christ, I can instead choose to stand firmly on solid ground by following the lead of His Spirit. (Galatians 5:16) 

Choosing to patiently endure the temptation to give in to Satan's alluring advances is a decision that will stay with me for eternity.

Obey God

"If it feels good, do it."

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

"Live for yourself, not others."

These are common beliefs found in the consciousness of today's self-gratifying generation.  While these sentiments may appeal to my sin nature, they contradict the precepts I learn from God's Word.

When I only focus on doing what feels good to me, I will not take one foot down the path God has laid out for me.  Instead of holding my emotions up as a compass, I can desire to please God and go only where He leads me, even if it feels scary, uncomfortable or downright difficult. (Jeremiah 17:9, Jeremiah 29:11)  

When my life's goal is to accomplish everything on my own personal "bucket list," then I miss out on all the eternal blessings that will come from fulfilling God's plan for my life.  If my own opinion is the only one that matters in the end, then I will end up making decisions that make myself happy instead of desiring to please God above all things.

Choosing to purposefully prefer God's ways over the fleshly appeal of the world is a decision that will stay with me for eternity.

Remain Faithful

He never took his eyes off his master, even when the alluring duck flew in front of his face, tempting the Labrador Retriever to chase as was natural to his instincts.  The canine's devotion to his master, however, gave him a self-control that amazed even the most hardened skeptic.  Staying true to his beloved leader mattered more to this dog than did following his desire to chase and retrieve.

In a similar way, my devotion to Jesus will take me places I never thought possible for me to visit.  Instead of working hard in service to prove my allegiance to the Lord, I can sit at His feet and only move when He rises to lead me.  While I sometimes think it necessary to join in with what man is doing for God, I will never find Jesus there in the midst of them.  I will only find Him when I stop working and sit quietly, seeking His face above my desire to improve my reputation as a good Christian. (Psalm 46:10)

Oswald Chambers explained it this way.  He wrote, "We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; Jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him.  Discipleship is based on devotion to Jesus Christ, not an adherence to a belief or a creed." 

When I hold my relationship with my Savior as most important, all the questions as to what acts of service I should do or not do will fade away.  All that will matter, then, is who I am to Him.  Am I paying attention to His promptings to love those around me?  Do I care when He points out a sin that is getting in the way of my connection to Him?  Is His opinion of me more important than that of the people around me?

Choosing to love Jesus more each day is a decision that will stay with me for eternity.

In the same way that the decisions I made as an adolescent influenced my life as an adult, so the way I choose to live my life here on earth will stay with me for eternity.  Therefore, I would be prudent to resist the devil's schemes designed to plunge me into sinful living, obey God above all other powers that be and remain faithful to Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life.  (John 14:6)  Since my deeds will follow me to eternity, I would be wise to do that which will prove lasting.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember the eternal consequences for my actions.

Even though I am saved by faith, the way I live my life matters.  How can I change in order to live a more eternally-focused life?

When am I more in tune with the here-and-now than with eternity?