What's in it for me?

Chris Bolinger Dec. 8, 2022

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"And he said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life'" (Luke 18:29-30).

This past summer, while traveling from Ohio to Iowa to visit my wife's cousins, we took a detour to the outdoor set of one of my favorite films, Field of Dreams.

It was worth it.

Parts of it were disappointing. Given how remote the location is, I thought I might have the place almost to myself. Nope. There were hundreds of people on and around the field. There was an electrical pole in right field (which, obviously, wasn't there in the film). And you couldn't go in the house next to the field unless you paid to rent it out.

But there was corn just beyond the outfield. Acres and acres of corn. Seeing it, I thought of the film's climactic scene.

Ray Kinsella, who has built the field in the middle of his cornfield, finds out that he is not allowed to explore the place in that field from which the long-dead baseball players emerge each day. He is not happy.

"That's my corn out there," he yells. "You guys are guests in my corn. I've done everything I've been asked to do. I didn't understand it, but I've done it. I haven't once asked what's in it for me."

"What are you saying, Ray?" demands Shoeless Joe Jackson.

"I'm saying, 'What's in it for me?'"

Perhaps you've asked God that question. Like Ray, you've sacrificed a great deal. You may have seen a few fruits from your labors, but right now you see little more than problems and disappointments. And bigger issues are looming.

Sure, you'll get your eternal reward. But what's in it for you before that? After all, when Peter noted that he and the other disciples had sacrificed to follow Jesus, Jesus responded that everyone who sacrifices for the kingdom of God will receive "many times more in this time" (Luke 18:30).

Maybe you're looking for the wrong reward.

Ray Kinsella was. He thought his reward would be an understanding of how the "field of dreams" worked. Instead, his reward was a chance to have a conversation, and a game of catch, with the father he had estranged a few decades before.

Keep plugging away. God has a fitting reward for your hard work. It will be better than you expect.

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Chris Bolinger is the author of three men’s devotionals – 52 Weeks of Strength for Men, Daily Strength for Men, and Fuerzas para Cada Día para el Hombre – and the co-host of the Throwing Mountains podcast. He splits his time between northeast Ohio and southwest Florida. Against the advice of medical professionals, he remains a die-hard fan of Cleveland pro sports teams. Find him at mensdevotionals.com. Learn More »

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