God's Multi-level Reward System

Sara made an interesting point in her comment on my last post “An Old Brown Bottle”.
She pointed out the fact that the man who discarded the brown bottle had no idea of the journey he had sent it on.

After drinking the contents of the bottle, he carelessly threw it on the beach or left it leaning against a log, never giving it another thought.
The incoming tide washed the bottle out to sea, tossing it on the waves until, filled with water it settled on the ocean floor.
A curious octopus, needing a home, found it and picked it up.
A documentary film crew just happened to be filming in that area and came across the octopus and the same bottle.
The bottle was captured on film and preserved in the documentary that was aired on TV where thousands or millions of viewers gazed at the bottle.
A little woman watching her TV set saw the bottle and was captivated by its story. She retold it on her bog, allowing the internet to spread the bottle’s fame a little further. Now the bottle had became an object lesson pointing out one of God’s life lessons.

If the man had been a Christian, and someone had said to him at the point where he threw away the bottle, “Do you know that you have set in motion a chain of events that will end up glorifying God?” I’m sure the man would have shaken his dead in disbelief.

We have all had glimpses of how life is one huge complicated domino effect chain…where nothing has nothing to do with anything else.

But there is one aspect that we sometimes forget.

All of us know someone who has been pulled into the allure of a pyramid scheme or mult-level marketing system. What is the irresistible aspect of these schemes??
That you can benefit from or share in the rewards of another’s labour.

Would you be surprised to know that the idea did not originate with a greedy, selfish someone looking for ways to get rich quick but rather that it originated with God??

Look at what Jesus says, “He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”
(Matt. 10:41)

I have had some comments on my blog from people who say they were touched or blessed through my words.
If there is anything praiseworthy in what I have attempted, I am deeply grateful that God could use my humble efforts. Should I be given any reward…. then Lovella will receive the same reward. It was she who in obedience to the Spirit’s prompting did not let up --- shall we say pressuring me? -- until I started my blog. I was very nervous about doing it and may well never have done it if it had not been for her. She has been faithful in encouraging me all along.

While in the multi-level-marketing systems the profits are shared on a sliding scale from bottom to top, in God’s plan the supporter or the encourager gets the same reward as the doer. So Lovella’s reward will be no greater or smaller than mine.

Perhaps you are a quiet, behind the scenes kind of person… But you see the work of the kingdom being done by others and you have secretly or otherwise prayed for them. The same rewards they receive for their work, will also be given to you.

Maybe you did nothing but recognize that God was working through someone and you reached out to encourage them in some way…. You are now partaker of their rewards.

Remember the parable Jesus told in Matt. 20 of the workers called to work in the householder’s vineyard.
The first workers hired were offered a penny for a day’s work. They agreed and went to the field.
The householder hired more workers later at the end of the day who only worked for one hour.
At the end of the day, the men were given their wages or rewards in order, from the last hired to the first.
When the men who had worked very little were given a penny, the ones who were hired early and had worked hard all day were certain that they would receive more.
When they also were only given a penny, they grumbled and complained. The master said, “Friends, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree to work for me for a penny?”

Jesus rightly deserves the glory for anything that is accomplished that is praiseworthy, so for Him to even offer rewards for our often bungling efforts to help, is amazing. And how fair to give everyone who supported a work the same reward.
We will be amazed - I think - when the rewards are handed out.
And so delighted to find that I Cor. 3:6 is true.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase.”

God does not want there to be any envying, any strife, and any division among His children. (I Cor. 3:3)
Since all increase is given by God, we are only His helpers.

God's plan leaves no room for pride or feelings of superiority in those who are considered to be the ‘important’ one, the one who is elevated in men’s eyes, who stand on the platform or have the high visual profile.

Would we as believers not behave so much differently toward each other if we could just recognize this truth -- that we are all equal in God’s sight and the importance of our work is not measured by man’s standard of greatest but by God ? Who measures simply by the willingness of our heart to work in His vineyard?

Let us rejoice in the fact that God has chosen to use the most divine mult-level reward system ever implemented …every person , who by their support , is connected to anyone who is connected to someone who is doing something worthy of a reward will receive the same reward.
How wonderfully fair is that??