Hi, this is Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to Joni and Friends.
When it comes to hanging in there through the tough times, making the good, the right choices, 2 Peter 1:11 is so encouraging to me. It says that, “If you do these things… you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Friend, did you hear it; did you get that? If you do this… then your eternal state will be more exalted. What a powerful and exciting thought… no, I take that back, it’s a fact: Our present conduct has a direct bearing on how rich our welcome into heaven will be. And how much glory, how much pleasure we will give the Savior.
You see, my excitement about heaven is not some pie-in-the-sky desire to leave behind this stupid wheelchair. Rather, I see my response to earthly afflictions as opportunities that can actually have a bearing on how rich my welcome into heaven will be. I know you’re with me on this. You, too, I am sure want to hear the Savior say, “Well done, my good servant!Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.”
God is not interested in how many books I’ve written or how many people know my name or how many Billy Graham crusades I’ve participated in. He’s interested in my attitude when I wake up in the morning… he’s interested in whether or not I’ve done things for his glory (or if I have done them out of puffed up pride).
And friend, God is not scrutinizing the success of your marriage or judging the results of your mission. You could have spent 45 years in marriage, 40 of which you were hanging in there by a promise and a prayer. You could have invested 25 years sharing the Gospel in the outback of Mozambique with only a handful of converts to show for it. When it comes to that rich welcome into heaven, God isn’t going to pull out the return-on-investment charts and do a cost-effective analysis on your earthly service. No, every Christian is on the same playing field. Success isn’t the key; faithfulness is. Being bigger and better is not the point. It’s being obedient through the tough times. The more trustworthy you’ve been – mostly through the small and great times of drastic obedience – friend, the richer your welcome, the greater your joy, the greater your service and worship in eternity.
Does this mean that those who suffer greatly, yet nobly, will have a bigger halo, a shinier face? No, but it does mean that they will give God great pleasure and they will enjoy a greater capacity to serve him in heaven. This is why the apostle said that to the degree one suffers, keep on rejoicing, it says, “Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13).We rejoice on earth… so that we may be overjoyed in heaven.
Oh, friend, the joy is coming, so hang in there. Be trustworthy and remain faithful. Get up in the morning and grab God’s grace because there’s nothing better than hearing those words, “Well done!” from our Savior. It’s what a rich welcome into heaven is all about!
Friend, thanks so much for these special few minutes we have been able to share together and because this program is called Joni and Friends, please know that I would love to hear from you, so drop me a line on Joni’s Corner at joniandfriends.org or you could always contact us at P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376.
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