God Remembers

 

 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. (Hebrews 6:10)

Yesterday may have been a bit of a rabbit trail, but I hope it was useful because transactionalism isn’t the way God works. At the same time, returning to the positive side of the coin, He does remember. What we do is not wasted. It may not be valued the way we think it should be. If we do something to look good, we have our reward when others praise us. The things we do that we barely notice we’ve done, but which we’ve done because we love God or love our neighbor are likely to be considered of greater value. Today’s passage specifically notes that God doesn’t forget our work on behalf of His people, which means for the Church, first and foremost, and then for people in general, since they are also His, created in His image.

Another possibility is that while we think what is valued is the overcoming of others, God seems to value the overcoming of ourselves. There are people who talk as though they can’t wait to ride out as a member of God’s army, slaying the wicked and defeating demons and dragons. At the same time, they excuse the sating of their fleshly appetites and treat their sins as acceptable in His sight.

All that being said, God remembers what is done for Him. God remembers what is done for His people. God remembers your lovingkindness, your patience, your joy, your peace, your faith… It’s not the task so much as it is the “peanut butter” (to return to the discussion of lovingkindness) that is applied to the task. When the going gets rough, it can be harder or more dangerous to love, yet that’s what God calls us to do, and He remembers when we do it, even if no one else notices or remembers.

I know some folks who dismissively joke, “You’ll get your reward in heaven…” but for those who believe that Heaven exists, and that its Lord does, in fact, remember, that can be a consolation and motivating force when others are lacking.