I Get Rewarded for Doing Right, Right?

I just graduated from college, major life accomplishment, and for some reason I feel that sense of accomplishment, but not like I did anything extraordinary? I thought I was wrong for this at first. 38% of people in the United States 25 and older have some sort of degree (US Census Bureau), and on top of that I finished it in four years. This is for some strange reason an oddity? Doing what I am supposed to do and what I was raised to do is all I did, so what is the big to do about it?

Most of the cards I got told me how proud people are of me and the whole stereotypical congratulations and all that, but one card humbled me yet again (like this person has taught me so well to do)and reminded me of the real perspective on my situation. Here is what the card said:

Way to do what you were expected to do… we sure didn’t expect you to quit or anything.

This may seem rude or offensive to most people, especially at first glance, but knowing the man it came from it was a great compliment and yet another of the many teaching moments I gave. Being rewarded for doing what is right and doing what is expected of you is an easy trap to fall into, especially when so many people around you aren’t doing their share. The first part of Galatians 6 talks about bearing one another’s burdens and carrying your own load. We are quick to let someone else take care of us, but so many get so caught up in that half of the scripture; they forget to pull their own weight. Doing what is right doesn’t deserve some sort of special recognition or reward because doing what is right is what we are supposed to do. Check out Chapter 6!

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+6&version=NIV

I recently had an interesting conversation with two of the football coaches at ACU about this sort of thing. One was wondering why we didn’t reward the defense for everyone executing a play perfectly, but we punished them if one of them did it wrong. We came to the conclusion that we didn’t want to sell them short giving them rewards for doing what they are supposed to do because we have a higher standard of expectations for that. But it is hard to keep a standard that high and keep the morale of a team high as well. People are so easily discouraged.

I am not going to pretend like I know anything about the military or what sort of sacrifice it takes, but all most of those guys do is what they are expected to do. The Congressional Medal of Honor is not awarded to everyone that follows orders; it’s just for those proud few heroes that go above and beyond the call of duty. Answering the call of duty, while laudable and deserving of congratulations to some, is just another day of doing what one is expected to do for a person in the military. They expect no praise and reward and special treatment because of it, they understand the highest standard to which they hold fast.

From what I’ve seen or read, we don’t deserve to be rewarded for doing what is right, but people really do catch some crap for it. Ask Moses, or Abraham, Joseph or Amos, Jeremiah, Stephen, Paul, Jesus. And if you really want to hear a story, ask Job about it. All of those men did nothing more than what God expected of them, and they all suffered mightily for it. Some reward for doing what is right? Look further into history and the same story rings true: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, Viktor Frankl, Miep Gies, the list goes on forever. All of these people were so deeply convicted of what is right and so committed to doing it, they didn’t care what repercussions and suffering they had to go through to attain it, much less ever think once about some great award that would be given to them or named after them some day.

Dig around on this. Think about it. I may be wrong and I want to know if I am. But until then remember these two things:

1. God saved you from eternity in hell, the least you can do is what He and what your family expects you to do and to do what is right. Don’t do anything for the glory and fame you may see from it.
2. Next time you’re ridiculed for doing what is right; join ranks with all of those heroes I mentioned above and thank God for it instead of whining about it.

Humble pie is delicious. And sweetest when served soon after a feast of a life accomplishment.

I Deserve Happiness

Selfishness is the nastiest disease known to the human condition. We are born with it, we live our whole lives battling it, and we die never having conquered it. For some reason our nature has us convinced that if we look out for what’s best for ourselves, then we will have everything we need and we’ll be happy. Of course the opposite is right and it is also true. Selflessness is the key to true happiness, just ask Jesus.

The most blatant and believable lie our selfishness tells us is that we deserve happiness, right here and right now. And not that deep contentment that everything is going to be alright happiness, but that everything should go right and I shouldn’t have to hurt or feel pain happiness. Last time I checked, the only thing I deserve is to spend eternity in hell. Nobody is holy enough to deserve to always be happy. How mediocre would heaven feel if we never felt pain and suffering here on Earth. There is a reason we aren’t happy here, we weren’t created to be here forever! Praise God we weren’t! The more time I spend here, the less like home it feels, and the more thankful I am for it.

Many characters throughout the Bible knew happiness wasn’t the most important thing. Qoheleth teaches in Ecclesiastes that happiness is a chasing after the wind just like anything else. Fearing God and keeping his commandments are the two most important things and our only purpose in life. Job also understood his happiness was second best to what God desired. Joseph spent three years in prison innocent, but never lost his faith. Paul and Silas sang God’s praises from prison. Jesus came down from heaven and emptied himself as a man and walked among us for crying out loud! (Philippians 2).

I dare you to dig around and find a sin that does not take root in selfishness. It can’t be done. And putting the desires of our heart and our happiness ahead of pleasing God and serving others is sinful. It is not right. I am not saying mope around and be sad all the time at all, just don’t think of happiness as your birthright. It’s a privilege to be enjoyed on occasion just like pain.

Finals are coming, as well as summer. The grind of school is almost over and it will be a lot easier to have time to focus on serving others because there will be less obligation and stress. Instead of focusing on what I can we can do or buy or who we can date or what do I need, try instead to just make someone else smile. That is when we are at our happiest.

I do not deserve to be happy, but I thank God for every second of happiness he blessed me with. Every one of them is just a small sampling of the grandeur of heaven and how great it will be!