Living the life God intended

How are you all? Ready for another year of serving and loving God. I want to ask a question. Have you ever done something and expected to be rewarded for it straight away? Maybe you won a race or maybe you were kind to your neighbour. Maybe you worked with someone for a day or maybe you did something for someone like handed in their wallet.

Most of the time when we do something for someone, we expect a reward. That reward could be money, a thank you, a gift or just a handshake with a well done attached to it. But what if you received nothing – not even one word. How would you feel? Maybe you would feel let down, sad or even feel used. Mordecai in the Bible knows exactly how you feel.

Let’s look at his story in Esther. Most of you may remember that he was Esther’s cousin and attach your memory of him to her story. But this story is all about him. Let’s look at Esther 2:21 – this is where our story starts. Mordecai sat at the king’s gate and on this particular day, he overheard two men talking. The conversation between them was that they were both angry with the King and were planning to assassinate him. This was upsetting to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther who told the king. Esther told the king who advised her of this. The story was found to be true and the men were hanged for their crime.

So what was Mordecai’s reward for saving the king’s life? Nothing – not even a thank you. Mordecai must have felt upset or maybe he felt it was his duty and didn’t need a reward. But his time was coming.

After this, a wicked man named Haman devised a plot to destroy the Jews of which both Queen Esther and Mordecai were one. Haman even had a gallows built for Mordecai. But the night before Haman was planning to hang Mordecai, the King couldn’t sleep and asked for the history books. In there he found what Mordecai had done for him and asked his servants whether he had been rewarded. They said he hadn’t so the next morning the king rewarded him by making Haman walk in front of him while he rode the King’s horse and Haman cried out to all that this is what happens to the one the King honours.

Shortly after this, the King found out what Haman had done and he was killed on his own gallows he built. After a time, Mordecai took his position.

What can we learn from this story?

• Your reward will eventually come. Keep trusting in God and being obedient and you will be rewarded.
• Don’t make your reward happen. Mordecai received his reward all in God’s timing. If he had been rewarded earlier, the Jews might have been killed along with him.
• Keep a good attitude while waiting.
• Don’t do everything expecting a reward.

God loves to bless His children especially when we have done something good for someone. Don’t make the reward your motivation, make doing good your motivation.

This week set out to serve someone around you and do good. God will see and will be pleased with you. That’s all the reward you need.

Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.

Karen