“But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” – Galatians 6:4-5
So often we allow what others do to effect first the way we feel, then in reaction to those feelings, what we do. Yet on the day of judgment God will not ask us to give an account of what others did, He will not even ask us to give an account of what others did to us, He will only ask us to give an account of our own actions regardless of what triggered them.
“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.” – Romans 2:5-11
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” – Matthew 16:27
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” – Revelation 22:12
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” – Revelation 20:11-13
These are just a small sample of the many scriptures that express the reality that we will all be held accountable for our actions. In Matthew 12:36 Jesus tells us that on the day of judgment we will even be held accountable for every idle word that comes out of our mouth. Yet not once does it make exceptions for words or actions that are provoked by others. What others do they will surely be judged for, but how you react to what they do, you will be judged for. So never allow the thoughts, words, or actions of others to effect your actions or even your words. It’s not about who is right or who is wrong, it’s about how you react to both right and wrong treatment. Learn from Christ’s example, who was perfect, loving, innocent, truthful, and without sin. Yet he was hated, slandered, shamed, rejected, lied about, persecuted, and crucified, but still He loved, held no bitterness, spoke no guile, never strayed, and willingly gave His life, even for those who mistreated Him.
“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” – Hebrews 12:2-3
“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
You see, judgment belongs to the Lord and every man will one day be judged for their every thought, word, and action, you can be assured of that. You need not prove yourself to men, for what they think of you has no weight in eternity. Only prove yourself to God of whom your eternal destination rest.
“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” – Matthew 10:26-31
God sees all, God hears all, and God knows all, let that be enough for you and care not what men see, hear, or know of you. God will reward all good for good and evil for evil lest the evil be repented of, His word is clear on that. Don’t let evil drive you to evil that both receive the rewards of evil, but let God’s goodness shine through you as you bless those that curse you and pray for those that persecute you, that the evil be overcome with good. Even when you think no one is watching, God is. He sees what no one else does, be it for good or for bad, and He will reward us all accordingly, let it be for good.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” – Philippians 2:12-15
Daily Manna 