Jesus said: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…” (Matthew 5:11-12).
I’d like to share a comforting thought. You might not think it’s very comforting at first, but hear me out.
Thomas More became the Lord High Chancellor of England under King Henry the 8th, the first layman to ever hold the position. Those were tumultuous days.
One of More’s expressions was: “A man may lose his head, but come to no harm.”* In other words, physical harm may come to someone—even losing one’s head!—but they won’t come to any ultimate harm because they are right with God.
Great is your reward… in heaven.
Interestingly enough, More did actually lose his head in 1535 for his religious convictions.
Let’s apply this idea to our own lives assuming, of course, that we won’t lose our actual heads, but perhaps other valuable things as we seek to serve Jesus.
It’s possible that we will lose our good reputation, or our worldly possessions, or something else. But we won’t come to any (ultimate) harm. In fact, you will be greatly rewarded. Those rewards will utterly dwarf anything we could get while on earth. As a result, says Jesus, we can “rejoice and be glad.”
When you’re confident in the goodness of God and what he doing in the big picture of eternity, you’re less likely to feel downcast or defeated when the little picture of your life isn’t so dreamy.
Great is your reward… in heaven.
Notes:
–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on July 26, 2021.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.
–*Thomas Stapleton, Life of Sir Thomas More (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne Ltd, 1928), 211.
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