Daniel 5:29-30 (ESV)
[29] Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. [30] That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
Daniel was called in to interpret the handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar. He was offered a purple robe, a gold chain and the position of 3rd ruler in the country if he could read and interpret the handwriting. Daniel told Belshazzar to keep the accolades but that he would interpret the handwriting. Was he being polite? Was he really unimpressed by the rewards? Or, did he realize that by the next morning the rewards would be meaningless? I'm not sure of the answer, but this story certainly highlights the truth that earthly awards are fleeting at best.
I read recently about some actor who received an award. The article said that he hadn't received the award in previous years but that this year he had lobbied for it and so received it. I thought, if a reward has to be lobbied for in order to receive it then is it really a reward. It seems like there are dozens of awards given for entertainers. There are music awards, acting awards, people's choice awards, etc. But what do these awards really mean in the grand scheme of life? Have you ever seen a child's room filled with trophies? They were perceived to be important when they were received, but when you have a room full of them they just become dust collectors. When you are 25, looking for a job and trying to start a career the fact that you received a "you did a good job" award in 3rd grade becomes pretty meaningless. And yet we spend our lives running after accolades and acknowledgement.
It is good to be acknowledged and encouraged. But the truth is that when we stand before God the only reward that matters is his rewards. The only "Well done!" that matters is his "Well done!" Purple robes fade and wear out. Gold chains get sold and melted down. Positions get passed on to someone else or disappear. But God's approval lasts for an eternity. C.T. Studd, missionary in the early 20th century penned a poem entitled Only One Life. That poem included these lines: Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last. Shortly before his death, in a letter home, he wrote these words:
"As I believe I am now nearing my departure from this world, I have but a few things to rejoice in; they are these:
1. That God called me to China and I went in spite of utmost opposition from all my loved ones.
2. That I joyfully acted as Christ told that rich young man to act.
3. That I deliberately at the call of God, when alone on the Bibby liner in 1910, gave up my life for this work, which was to be henceforth not for the Sudan only, but for the whole unevangelized World.
My only joys therefore are that when God has given me a work to do, I have not refused it."
I wonder if I will be able to say the same at the end of my life.
By His grace,
Rick Weinert
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