“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” – Matthew 19:30
There’s a fundamental reversal of the world order that many followers of Jesus still struggle to embrace. We know it, but still have a hard time living it! Many Christians are still caught up in the worldly culture of looking out for number one, striving to be top dog, building empires, and the pursuing earthly success, status, and wealth. Those things aren’t what get us ahead in God’s eyes or Kingdom!
In God’s eyes, quiet faithful service with integrity is greater than having the corner office. Living a professional life that leaves time for personal ministry and nurturing your family is more important than any temporary title or responsibility. A lifetime spent giving away your money to support the Kingdom is far better and more enriching than striving to become wealthy or even comfortable. When we get to heaven we will be surprised at who is honored there: people who labored in anonymity and even futility for the Kingdom will be rewarded beyond well-known leaders with TV platforms.
Heaven will be quite different than earth and we’ll discover that our perspective here was more distorted than a fun-house mirror. We would all be wise to reflect now on what actually makes someone “first” in the Kingdom of God and begin to pursue that rather than continuing to pursue what merely gets us ahead during our brief tour of duty on earth.