Unexpected bonuses

One time having just finished working on a particular project in my industrial career, I had a surprise, my boss told me that the company were giving me a "bonus". An unheard of thing in that company, but there it was an unexpected payment for the hard work that had been put in.

Often we work hard and no matter how much effort we put in or how great our achievement we get the same salary cheque at the end of the month. I have known people get quite disgruntled that their efforts were not better rewarded. The fact is though, when we take on a job, we accept the terms and conditions which usually include a clause that extra hours will need to be put in as required to get the job done.

My life in Christ isn't like that, in accepting him as Lord and saviour, a package deal was credited to me without me doing anything. Christ had paid the price of the things I get wrong, given me an "excited expectation" of eternity with him, become a friend that I can trust and given me a lifelong role in his kingdom - to share that truth. A truly unexpected bonus with a value far in excess of anything I could ever earn for myself.

My hope is that one day I will see him face to face and offer him all the stuff that I did in life that was truly for him with no expectation of payment, reward or praise - it's kind of reverse about in that I already have more than I could earn from Christ, there is no need for me to do anything and yet my heart just wants to praise him and offer him the fruits of a life, which I hope is well lived in him.


Theres a Casting Crowns video on youtube that I think just sums this all up, try listening for a few minutes, it might just make your day.

                             Living he loved me,
                             Dying he saved me,
                             Buried he carried my sins far away ....