What’s in it for me? This statement seems to be the heart of what we do. If there is no value in what we do for ourselves, we tend not to do it. However, the value we see in our output depends on where our heart is focused. If my heart is focused on making a grandchild happy, then the lengths I go to will be measured by the joy I expect to see in that child’s face. If we truly look at our actions and determine why we do what we do for God, we will probably find out that a lot of what we do is not serving God but ourselves. In other words, “What’s in it for me.”
Sometimes, we are so deceived by our own hearts that we do not connect why we say or do something to why we really do it. In Romans 2:1-11, Paul teaches us that one day God will judge us righteously. There will be no more deceiving ourselves or others with our actions or words.
In Romans 2:1-3, the Jews felt they were better than the Gentiles, and they were judging everything according to their self-righteous attitude. They were guilty of some of the same things they were judging the Gentiles for. The Jews knew that God’s judgment was without hypocrisy, that it was according to the truth. The Jews would also be judged by these same truths, but with greater consequences because they had been taught the truth of the gospel first. The Jews were putting themselves in the position of God by judging the Gentiles. They had contempt for God’s goodness, and not realizing His goodness led them to repentance. Paul teaches them they will not escape God’s judgment for the same actions.
Romans 2:1-4 “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
They were so proud and steeped in their self-righteousness that their hearts had become hardened toward God’s goodness toward the Gentiles. By having this kind of attitude, they were storing up the wrath of God against themselves. In verse 6, he reminds them God will reward each one according to his works. In verse 7, the reward for those who persevere in good works, doing them only for the glory of God, will be eternal life. However, those who serve with selfish ambition and do not obey the truth will receive wrath and anger from God. Verses 9-11 sum up the consequences of what we do and why we do it. For those who do evil, there will be affliction and distress. For those who do good, good in God’s eyes, not man’s, will receive glory, honor, and peace from God because He is impartial.
Romans 2:5-11 “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.”
By stepping back and taking a long look at the church in America, God has impressed upon my heart that a vast majority of what we do is done for the wrong reason. We, like the Jews, are setting ourselves as judges as to what the church should be doing, according to the world’s standards and our personal likes. We want to have all the programs and “bangs and whistles” like the world so that we can attract them. Yet, when they come, we do very little to seek after them. What we are really doing is planning activities for our enjoyment and promoting ourselves because it makes us feel good. We judge everything we do by the world’s standards, not by God’s. We think about how our efforts are going to affect our lives and what we are going to get out of it. We are no different than the Jews, who had their way of religion and their desire for accolades and affirmation from man.
Why can’t we get our lives so focused on serving God to please Him that nothing else matters? If we serve in that way, God will be honored, and souls will be saved. We will not feel burdened to attend an extra service at church, and we will not breathe a sigh when we are asked to do more. On the contrary, we will feel excited to have another opportunity to worship, another opportunity to serve, another opportunity to influence someone to come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior, and another opportunity to deny self, take up our cross, and follow Him. Heaven will come down, and glory will feel our soul, then when the impartial Judge judges us, we will be found righteous in His sight and well-pleasing to Him. Our reward will then be more than enough.
I want to serve until the day I die. I want to serve by influencing others to come to know Christ. To influence Christians to want to do more for him and to be more like Him. My desire is to honor him 24/7. So, what’s in it for me? I want to stand before Him and hear Him say, well done, thou good and faithful servant!
Matthew 25:21 “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
