For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing]. – 2 Corinthians 5:10, Amplified Bible (AMP)

There is perhaps no more sobering thought in the Scripture than the one expressed by 2 Corinthians 5:10. One day, God will sit in judgment of us all, and He will hold us accountable for our actions on this Earth. Though guaranteed entrance into Heaven thanks to Christ’s saving work, Christians will no doubt suffer shame on that day. When the piercing gaze of God Almighty shines upon our purposes, our motives, our achievements, and our choices of how we spent our time, we will understand just how wasteful we were with the life that God has given us.

One of the hardest things to remember to do when we wake up in the morning is to realize that today brings us one day closer to the day of judgment. If we can keep in mind the reality of the judgment seat of Christ – if we can habitually transplant ourselves in our mind’s eye to standing before God on that day of accountability – then everything that we say, do, and think will have purer purpose and motive behind it. Selfishness, pride, greed, lust, and worldliness will lose their attraction when we remember that they are worthless in comparison to the joy of hearing Christ say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!”

What choices have you made to this point in your life that God would find acceptable? Do your friends bring you closer to God, or do they pull you away from Him? If you are working, did you pick your job based solely on how much money you thought you could make from it? Or, did you ask God to make it clear to you that your job was the one He wanted you to have, regardless of the income potential?  How about your entertainment choices, your diet choices, and your worship choices? Do they make you more fit for Christ’s service? Or, do they make your mind, body, and soul sickly and unprofitable to The Lord? As 1 Corinthians 10:31 teaches us, whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we should do all for the honor and glory of God. When we don’t, we have failed Him.

Try to live each day in the light of the judgment to come. The more you do, the more you’ll give yourself and your attention to the things that God will reward, rather than discard, at the judgment seat of Christ.

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