What is Better?

Heaven. Life with Christ. Doing that which is pleasing to God.

All of these things are better, but not necessarily looked at this way here in the world.

What is it that we get here in this world for our work for Christ?

“³⁵Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise to a better life. ³⁶Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” – Hebrews 11:35-38 (ESV)

Not a very rosy picture of the great things that come from being a follower of Christ. Beaten, killed, exiled, and poor. Doing for God is not something that most would want to be a part of seeing the rewards for that work as described above.

But, here is what I realized this morning. God provides his blessing of heaven and heavenly perfection to all his people, not just those of Old Testament “fame”.

“³⁹And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” – Hebrews 11:39-40 (ESV)

“something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect”. We are all in this together. If as a Christ follower I am made perfect in heaven, then so are you, and all that come after and before you. We all receive the same reward. Not here on earth, but with Christ in heaven.

We have been fortunate to live in the time after the coming of Christ and know of and can hang our hat on the sacrifice of Christ for us. Those that came before Christ had faith of what was to come and did not get to experience firsthand the whitewashing of ourselves thanks to the sacrificial death of Christ. But, we all get to experience the same perfection, together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

When you approach life, are you looking for your rewards of the day? Are you looking for what is better? Are you aware and celebrating the better that is to come?