Waiting on Tables

Friday night is typically “date night” for Nancy and I and so we went to a restaurant and enjoyed a meal out for the week.  Our waitress was a very friendly young lady who gave us great service and talked with us some. At the end of the meal I gave her a gospel tract with our payment and asked her to read it carefully and also told her she was a very good waitress and a nice person to talk to so she quickly acted on a company policy.  She asked if we could go online and submit a survey about her service as the result would be a reward from the company ! “Sure, we can do that and will be happy to !”, I said.

In many ways, we’re all like our young servant girl. We are all called to serve by the Lord, we all have the option to serve well or not so well. We can give our best efforts or we can eke out  a mediocre performance just going through the motions with no love or spiritual desire in that which He wants us to do. Oh we may complete the task, but that’s about it, our heart is not in it for Him.  And, instead of a company reward which is fleeting, we will enjoy a prize that will endure and be given by the Lord Himself !! No online submission required !

Not long after the rapture occurs we’ll stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We’ll be examined for what we did after we got saved and the Bible says this: “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? (the old English was of saying why are you dissing him?) for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” (Rom.14:10) – We must be careful how we talk about and treat each other. God sees and will reward accroding to how we do so – with a reward for great treatment or loss for ill treatment.

To the Corinthians Paul wrote, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” (1Cor.3:13). Did you catch that? “what sort it is”??   Is what I’m doing FOR Him or only to impress a man? Is there a hidden agenda, as I serve to get?  Or am I doing it well by doing above all for Jesus? That’s the ticket !!  You should work hard for your boss but ultimately your Highest boss !     Then Paul said, “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” (vs.14).   Did you catch the promise there?   If what you are doing is truly for Christ, then who needs an online survey submitted?!  He sees, He approves, He WILL reward you in due time !!

Those little earthly rewards are encouraging, and sometimes we do need them and God knows that, but even better its the heavenly prize that will encourage us and better still, your spiritual service is what encourages Him and glorifies Him which is to be our ultimate concern: glorifying Him in all we do !!