Seek and bide your reward from the right person and place

[Leonardo Von]

Seek and bide your reward from the right person and place, namely, from Jesus and His heavenly kingdom:

•    “And He also said to him who invited Him, when you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends or your brothers, or your kinsmen, or your rich neighbors; lest they also invite you again, and a recompense be made to you. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you shall be blessed, for they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luk 14:12-14).

Most of people only care about helping those who it worth of it (of preference, those who can reciprocate them).

I know that it is frustrating we help someone ungrateful. Our lean is to blame ourselves for having being idiot in virtue of having helped, loved and trusted in such a person.

Nevertheless, see:

•    “But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you *may become sons of your Father in Heaven*. For *He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust*.” (Mat 5:44,45).
•    “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks do you have? For sinners also do the same. And if you lend to those of whom you hope to receive, what thanks do you have? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. And your reward shall be great, and *you shall be the sons of the Highest* . For *He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil*.” (Luk 6:33-35).

Don’t allow that the remorse take hold of you for having believed in the human goodness. Although you made a mistake for having trusted in the humanity (Jer 17:5,9) and ignored that there is only One that is good (to wit, the Creator – Mat 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19), if you made something for someone for Christ’s sake, in obedience to His word, can you be sure that, in Jesus, your work isn’t in vain (1Cor 15:58; Hebrews 13:5,6).

We are in this world to win, mainly amidst our losses (see Mat 10:39; 19:30; Mark 10:31). We are here to be:

•    light amid the murkiness (Mat 5:14-16);
•    fountain of water where it is dry (Isaiah 41:17,18; John 4:13,14; 7:37-39), 
•    instrument of peace where there is commotion and mayhem (hence Jesus gives us His peace – John 14:27);
•    life donors where there is death (Ps 23:4; John 14:6);
•    reference of love where there is hatred (hence Jesus have loved us first – 1John 4:19);
•    spring of mercy and goodness where the sin abounds (Ps 23:6; Rom 5:17,20);
•    column and bulwark of truth where the lie blinds hearts (1Tim 3:15);
•    providers of prosperity where there is misery (2Cor 6:10);
•    motive of joy where is despondency.

So, have a good day, always believing in Jesus’ goodness, in His eternal and true friendship and love, and, above all, making of Paul’s example your way of living:

•    “We are in nothing giving cause of stumbling, in no way, so that the ministry may not be blamed, but in everything commending ourselves as God's servants, in much patience, in troubles, in emergencies, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, in the Word of Truth, in the power of God, through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet well known; as dying and, behold, we live; as chastened and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.” (2Co 6:3-10).