When I was a young Christian, I heard of Judgement Day.

And immediately fear crept into me.

I looked back at my life, and thought about what kind of impact I made, and my heart sank.

I did not have many talents. Not many abilities.

Somehow, as I looked ahead to the future, I feared that I might not be able to stand tall on Judgement Day.

But I reassured myself, I said that I would become a more qualified person when I became older, and it would mean I could store up more treasure.

Fast forward to now, I am still not much different of a person as I was back then.

A lot has changed, that’s for sure, but one thing remained constant.

I still do not have many abilities.

I am still the same weak person. A weak mind, not much control of my emotions. I don’t have knowledge on many things, and I’m still poor. I lack physical strength, I’m not good at most of the things I try, never stuck with most hobbies. Even with the one hobby that I stayed faithful with – reading – is still a weakness for me. I lack reading comprehension despite reading for most of my life.

And as I look ahead to Judgement Day, I often feel the same fear within me rising up.

But one thing I know is different now.

When I thought of those people who would receive great rewards from God on that Day, the same kind of people came to mind.

Pastors. Missionaries. Church leaders.

I figured that those who were in ministry would qualify for treasure in Heaven.

But somewhere down the line, I changed my mind.

I realised that good work wasn’t just in the church itself.

A woman could give glory to God in her secular workplace too. A shoemaker could give glory to God not by printing crosses on his shoes, but by making very good shoes.

And I thought to myself, those people with great abilities will be the ones to receive great reward.

But just as I finished my study of Matthew just now, a sweet realisation fell upon me.

What causes a person to receive great reward on that Day? To hear “well done, good and faithful servant”?

Is it the one who won thousands of souls in an auditorium preaching?

Is it the one who pastored a megachurch?

Is it the one who built countless orphanages to save the helpless children?

I have nothing against those things – they are great acts.

But a person can do those things with the wrong posture of heart.

If a person achieved those things with a heart set on selfish ambition, then wouldn’t those things be for nothing?

Matthew 6:2 (New International Version)

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

For those who do good deeds with such a posture of heart, they will receive no reward, God is very clear on that.

But if those things are done for the glory of God, then great is their reward.

But what about those people who do not have as many abilities to do things like that?

Does that mean they gain no reward?

What qualifies us for great rewards?

Let me change your way of thinking.

On that Day, the question won’t be:

“What have you accomplished for the kingdom?”

But:

“How have you loved?”

It doesn’t matter if you rescue thousands, but you did it without a loving heart.

It doesn’t matter if you have all the knowledge of the bible, but you never use it to love the people around you.

On that Day, the question won’t be – how many people have you helped?

But – how have you exercised the love in your heart?

And this is something everyone can exercise.

We all have love in our hearts.

And we all have the ability to choose whether to love in one moment, or choose hate instead.

We can either choose to hate or to love.

When we stand before Jesus on that Day, this is what we will have to answer to.

Have we loved well?

And if we have, we shall gain that smile our souls so crave to see on His face.

If we have not, we lose our rewards, but we ourselves are saved.

Do you look forward to that Day?

How do you think of it now?

I hope that I have managed to set some peace into your heart.

Your work on that Day will not be measured by statistics.

But by how love has prevailed in your heart.

Because it is not numbers that qualifies us for great rewards in New Jerusalem.

It is love that will qualify us for great reward in New Jerusalem.

Matthew 10:42 (New International Version)

⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”