Pay it Upfront

What the Bible says about the Good Life –part 5

After a preacher died and went to heaven, he noticed that a New York cabdriver had been given a higher place than he had. “I don’t understand,” he complained to St. Peter. “I devoted my entire life to my congregation.” “Our policy is to reward results,” explained St. Peter. “Now, what happened Reverend, whenever you gave a sermon?” The minister admitted that some in the congregation fell asleep. “Exactly,” said St. Peter. “And when people rode in this man’s taxi, they not only stayed awake, they prayed.” It is true results do get rewarded! That’s how it was with Daniel.

“Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.” (Daniel 2:48)

If you were to take a snapshot of this man Daniel and see his prosperity and power, you might think that he was just lucky. Maybe you would think he was in the right place at the right time. You know- just happened to be standing in a line when Destiny was looking for a leader. Luck had very little to do with the Good Life that Daniel experienced, and it will have very little to do with the Good life coming to us. However, some people live their whole lives with a kind of “Lotto Destiny” mindset, thinking that for a $5 investment of effort someday they will hit the jackpot and the Good Life van will pull up to their house and knock on their door. It just does not happen that way. One stormy night an elderly couple entered the lobby of a small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk said they were filled, as were all the hotels in town. “But I can’t send a fine couple like you out in the rain,” he said. “Would you be willing to sleep in my room?” The couple hesitated, but the clerk insisted. The next morning when the man paid his bill, he said, “You’re the kind of man who should be managing the best hotel in the United States. Someday I’ll build you one.” The clerk smiled politely. A few years later the clerk received a letter from the elderly man, recalling that stormy night and asking him to come to New York. A round-trip ticket was enclosed. When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street, where stood a magnificent new building.

“That,” explained the man, “is the hotel I have built for you to manage.” The man was William Waldorf Astor, and the hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria. The young clerk, George C. Boldt, became its first manager.

No, Daniel paid the price for the Good Life up front. His life of serving God, his commitment to godly friends, his commitment to excellence, and his prayer life all were part of the upfront payment. Daniel who understood that living a life of “doing extra” was the path way to the Good Life. Before Jesus ever told us to go the extra mile, Daniel was living his life that way and enjoying the benefits. Zig Ziglar says “there is no traffic on the second mile.” That’s true. People who do extra, who always give more than expected are few and far between. But it is those people who continue to be seen as “lucky.” You and I could live like that. Yes we could. By the grace of God we could overcome complaining about jobs and people, about lack of money and future and begin to just pay upfront with our lives and trust God for our futures.