Bema Seat and some rambling

Maeve had something to say here in regards to different rewards in Heaven.  I’ve been listening to Chuck Missler’s Q&A recently and he’s clearly been convicted on getting his “report card” ready for the Bema seat judgement.  And then my own pastor mentioned it… sort of as an aside, in a sermon on Acts 17.  Whenever I get the same message from several angles, I have to wonder what’s up.  (To be fair, my pastor might well listen to Missler, but I doubt that Maeve is.)

1 Corinthians 3:⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own ^[b]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s ^[c]field, God’s building.

¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

The Christian isn’t worried about his sins being judged, those have been covered with the blood of Christ – but our works?  Well.  Will they burn, or will they endure?

It’s always really God who does the work, so there’s that.  I don’t think we as humans are capable of judging our works – we don’t have enough information.  I know that what we do for our ego is stubble, even if the world at large thinks it’s the most Christian thing ev-ah.  And I know we’re to do all things to the glory of God, so even the smallest chore might end up being a jewel.

That said, there are better and worse things to do with our time.

And here’s where the rambling starts.  I’m not so worried about my rewards in Heaven, as long as I’m pleasing my Lord.  He’s just.  I *do* want to please Him and do my best, though.  (Does the difference make sense to y’all?)

I’m coming up on a year, not too far from now, when the job I’ve been doing for this last 15 years will be complete.  I’ll be 45 the year my youngest child starts HS, by which time I could nicely be working PT (and this is considered desirable by my husband).  So, what will I do, when I’m no longer mostly on Mom Patrol?  What happens four years later, when I’m no longer doing Mom Patrol at all?

1. I could go back to the office.  I *hated* working in an office.  I’ll do it if nothing else presents itself, but I really, really, REALLY hate it.
2. I could get a small business off the ground and producing income.  I have a talent, whether I can turn it into cash flow is another question.  (If you’re interested in my musings in that direction, check out my other blog, HRG).
3. I could go back to school and get my degree in Christian Counseling, which would work off of one of my spiritual gifts.  I am loath to go back to school, not because I don’t enjoy school (I do) but because I feel like it’s very much my husband’s turn.
4. I could start a small business and make it pay for school, which sounds impossible but fun.

I’m not asking y’all for input, although if you have some, feel free.  I am asking for prayer – and actually going to do the sane thing and spend some time this week praying for direction.  I’m not done with Mom Patrol, and actually pretty well in the trenches right now … but I’m also not so much a fool that I don’t know that this few years will vanish.  If I set things up, get in the right direction, do my foundation work, I’ll be in good shape to hit the ground running.

And while I’m at it, y’all might pray that I don’t have my head so much in the clouds of tomorrow that I don’t keep my eyes firmly on the tasks of today!  🙂  I *am* in the trenches, and as always, “I have plenty to do”.  (I have no idea why women want to run the church or teach men – seriously.  I have stuff to do, I don’t need MORE).

Making a good salary and bringing it home to my husband might just be stubble on the heap of life – I know it will burn.  But it’s useful papery stuff for this life… if I use it right.  The time I’ve been given is precious, I want to steward it well.  My good brain with an endless appetite for theology, my heart for counsel, my eyes for color – they’re all gifts.  I want to use them well.  I want God to say, “well done”.

How can I best use the talents and treasure that have been lent me, so that one day, my Master will approve of my stewardship???

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants^[a] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.^[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’