Adam McLane

Reward yourself

The reality is that no one is going to give you the rewards you deserve. You do so much for others that goes unnoticed. You sacrifice so many things that only Jesus knows about. And in doing so you grow weary. And if you don’t take care of yourself there is a 100% chance you’ll give up, morally fail, or just plain quit.

So sometimes you need to reward yourself.

Celebrate your own victories.

Give yourself a day off.

Buy yourself the book you are wanting to read.

Take a class to learn something new.

Give yourself a month from paying down your debt to go on vacation.

And leave the guilt at home.

You aren’t being selfish by rewarding yourself. In a way, it’s selfish to not reward yourself.

Jesus was the suffering servant. (Isaiah 53) You aren’t. If your life’s pace has you constantly feeling like you give, give, give and you never take some time to take care of yourself… you might just be addicted to serving.

Even Jesus took time to rest, reflect, and relax along the way.

Your work is important. It’s so important that you need to pace yourself for life’s marathon.

So, if it’s been a long time and you haven’t been rewarded for your faithful service. Take 5 minutes and think about a way to reward yourself.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:23

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Adam McLane

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3 responses to “Reward yourself”

  1. Jon Avatar
    Jon

    I partially agree. I definitely think we need to have a long term view rather than short term. A life lived in Christ is a marathon, not a sprint. If we go at sprint speed we will burn out and be out of commission way too early. In general, I think it would help if we as a body focused more on finishing things well rather than starting things well. We’re in it for the long haul and it’s for naught if we don’t finish well. (1cor 9:24-27)
    I also think it’s important to remember that we are supposed to take on the likeness of Christ. We are not The Suffering Servant, but we are servants and we will sometimes suffer when we put others before ourselves, or even sometimes just because we profess Christ. (Phil 2:1-11; 1Cor 11:1; James 1:2)
    I agree with you in a general sense that we don’t need to cause suffering for ourselves beyond being self disciplined. The Kingdom of Heaven is filled with joy, and if we are representatives and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, our lives should demonstrate that joy in some real manner. There are people in my life that I become frustrated with because it seems whenever they perceive something is fun or enjoyable, they automatically label that thing as probably evil. I think we are supposed to enjoy ourselves, and our work, and others, and the world that God created for us to live in, within His boundaries of course.
    I think you’re right about celebrating and rewarding. The Bible is filled with stories of people setting up memorials and celebrating accomplishments. We should not neglect the fun parts of scripture!

    Reply
  2. Drew Peterson Avatar
    Drew Peterson

    Thanks for the encouragement this morning. I’m in agreement with you, and I’ve been getting better (slowly) on taking a Sabbath and using that Sabbath for God’s glory and refreshment for myself.

    Thanks for the encouraging post, Adam!

    Reply
  3. Dawson Perry Avatar
    Dawson Perry

    I agree …I think… I’m a big spender and I’m trying to make a commitment to the lord… should I stop spending on myself completely are just within a budget… I’m stuck on that…

    Reply

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