A story is told of a bus driver and a pastor who were standing in line, waiting to get into heaven. The bus driver approached the gate, and an angel said, “Welcome, I understand you were a bus driver while on earth. Since I’m in charge of housing, I believe I have found the perfect place for you. Do you see that huge, beautiful mansion over there? It’s yours.”
The clergyman heard all this and began to get rather excited. He thought, “Boy, if a bus driver gets a place like that here in heaven, just think what I will get!” As he approached the gate, the angel said, “Welcome to heaven. I understand you were a pastor while you lived on earth. Do you see that little shack over there?” “Well, yes, I do.” “That,” the angel continued, “will be your home here in heaven.” “What!” the irate clergyman responded, “I was pastor for many years. I preached the gospel every week, I taught people about God’s Word. Why does that bus driver get a big mansion, while I, a servant of the Lord, get only a little shack?”
Sadly, the angel responded, “Well, it seems that when you preached a lot of people slept. When that bus driver drove, a lot of people prayed!”
Friends, I am not a fan of either boring preaching or reckless bus driving. Nor do I think mansions or shacks will likely be the type of rewards Christian believers receive in heaven. There is, however, a very important truth illustrated in this fictional story on which I want to focus: Whether or not we have helped others follow the Lord is a big part of how He evaluates our lives. This is one of our primary responsibilities as a Christian. In His “great commission,” Jesus tells us we are to “go and make disciples,” or in other words, “go and help others trust and follow me.” (Matthew 28:19) In Hebrews 10:24 we learn that it is our job to “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” Helping other people grow in their love for the Lord is a big part of the “fruit” which Jesus desires us to produce.
Now, obviously it is not good to drive others to prayer by terrifying them by our reckless behavior. At the same time, we must remember that telling people “to pray more often” accomplishes nothing if no one is really listening to us. To truly have a positive influence upon others requires that our words and actions both be focused on encouraging others in their relationship with the Lord. This is something which a pastor, a bus driver, a student, an elderly person in a nursing home, or anyone else can do. Inviting a neighbor to church, giving a friend a quality Christian book to read, taking time to pray and read the Bible with someone in our family, are all ways which we can help people grow in their Christian life. I’m not sure what type of reward you will get in heaven if you do these types of things, but I do know the Lord is very pleased when we help others to trust and serve Him.
The clergyman heard all this and began to get rather excited. He thought, “Boy, if a bus driver gets a place like that here in heaven, just think what I will get!” As he approached the gate, the angel said, “Welcome to heaven. I understand you were a pastor while you lived on earth. Do you see that little shack over there?” “Well, yes, I do.” “That,” the angel continued, “will be your home here in heaven.” “What!” the irate clergyman responded, “I was pastor for many years. I preached the gospel every week, I taught people about God’s Word. Why does that bus driver get a big mansion, while I, a servant of the Lord, get only a little shack?”
Sadly, the angel responded, “Well, it seems that when you preached a lot of people slept. When that bus driver drove, a lot of people prayed!”
Friends, I am not a fan of either boring preaching or reckless bus driving. Nor do I think mansions or shacks will likely be the type of rewards Christian believers receive in heaven. There is, however, a very important truth illustrated in this fictional story on which I want to focus: Whether or not we have helped others follow the Lord is a big part of how He evaluates our lives. This is one of our primary responsibilities as a Christian. In His “great commission,” Jesus tells us we are to “go and make disciples,” or in other words, “go and help others trust and follow me.” (Matthew 28:19) In Hebrews 10:24 we learn that it is our job to “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” Helping other people grow in their love for the Lord is a big part of the “fruit” which Jesus desires us to produce.
Now, obviously it is not good to drive others to prayer by terrifying them by our reckless behavior. At the same time, we must remember that telling people “to pray more often” accomplishes nothing if no one is really listening to us. To truly have a positive influence upon others requires that our words and actions both be focused on encouraging others in their relationship with the Lord. This is something which a pastor, a bus driver, a student, an elderly person in a nursing home, or anyone else can do. Inviting a neighbor to church, giving a friend a quality Christian book to read, taking time to pray and read the Bible with someone in our family, are all ways which we can help people grow in their Christian life. I’m not sure what type of reward you will get in heaven if you do these types of things, but I do know the Lord is very pleased when we help others to trust and serve Him.
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