You Will Have a Performance Evaluation from God Someday
Have you ever had to do a performance evaluation for a job? A performance evaluation is an opportunity to be assessed on our contributions to an organization, job or event. It has the ability to measure the quantity and quality of our work and the extent to which we add benefit. Well, did you know that we will have a performance evaluation in heaven someday? One day we will all stand before God and have to give an account for our “performance” on earth. We will be held accountable to God, similar to doing a performance evaluation with our employers. Our contributions will be evaluated. God will assess the quantity and quality of our work and if and how much benefit we added to His kingdom. When I think about it that way, it’s kind of ominous sounding!
JUDGEMENT/GIVING AN ACCOUNT TO GOD
“He will judge everyone according to what they have done.” Romans 2:6 (NLT)
“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” Romans 14:12 (NIV)
“For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing].” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (AMP)
“For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.” Matthew 16:27 (NLT)
“I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” Ecclesiastes 3:17 (NLT)
“God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.” Ecclesiastes 12:14 (NLT)
To clarify, this is NOT a judgement or performance evaluation for deciding your eternity or salvation. Rather, this judgement is a performance evaluation to reward you for your works and deeds performed. Your works and deeds do not get you into heaven—only professing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior can do that, but they can earn you treasures not only in heaven, but also here on earth (Psalm 27:13, Psalm 31:19, John 10:10).
SALVATION AND HEAVEN BY JESUS…NOT BY WORKS
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)
“Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:16 (NIV)
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (NIV)
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NIV)
In general, a performance evaluation can be a bit intimidating. I’ve had a few in my lifetime. I recently had one for my college teaching. At the collegiate level they do peer reviews where another professor sits in one of our class sessions to observe our teaching and evaluate how we did. I get a performance evaluation of sorts at the end of each semester from my students as well when they conduct course evaluation surveys. I have also received feedback after speaking engagements in the form of surveys completed by attendees. Each of these types of performance evaluations tell me how I’m doing, what I’m doing well, and where I can do better. I can get rehired, promoted, and/or rewarded based on these reviews.
We will receive a performance evaluation from God:
God will give us similar reviews during His performance evaluation of us. He will show us where we could have done better and maybe what we missed out on. Realizing what more we could have done or had or who we could have helped might be why God has to wipe some tears away from our eyes (see Revelation 7:17). On the flip-side, God will also honor, promote and reward us for what we did well.
EVALUATED AND REWARDED BY GOD
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NLT)
“He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve.” Job 34:11 (NLT)
“Great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 32:19 (NIV)
“Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.” Isaiah 40:10 (NLT)
“But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10 (NLT)
“…Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” Revelation 2:23 (NIV)
“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.” Revelation 22:12 (NLT)
“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:14 (NIV)
“He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.” Hebrews 11:26 (NLT)
“The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.” 1 Corinthians 3:8 (NIV)
“And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” 1 Peter 5:4 (NLT)
“[As to what remains] henceforth there is laid up for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me and recompense me on that [great] day–and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and yearned for and welcomed His appearing (His return).” 2 Timothy 4:8 (AMP)
We are receiving a performance evaluation from Jesus, even now:
Jesus gives us a “peer review”. He evaluates our performance and intercedes to God on our behalf. We will also stand before the “Judgement Seat of Christ” someday to redeem our rewards.
“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV)
“Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” Hebrews 7:25 (NLT)
See also…Matthew 16:27, Romans 14:10, and 2 Corinthians 5:10
We will receive a performance evaluation by others:
I also believe we’ll get feedback from those whose lives we’ve touched, influenced or impacted. My pastor has stated before that he imagines that we’ll have people lined up in heaven waiting to say “Thank You”, and he’s said that we’ll get to see the impact of the contributions that we made, even those seemingly small ones. It’s made me wonder how long the line would be for people waiting to thank me. My hope and goal is to make it a LONG one! 😉
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)
Take Some Practical Steps for a “Performance Evaluation”:
- You don’t have to wait until Judgement to get a performance evaluation from God–Get in the Word of God (aka your Bible). When you read your Bible on a regular basis, God will do regular performance evaluations for you. You will be corrected, convicted, confirmed, and praised through God’s Word and His scriptures. I’m CONSTANTLY finding things I need to work on and improve as I spend time with God and reading the Bible. I’m also constantly being rewarded, in this life, because of my obedience and faithfulness to God and His Word. 🙂
- Answer the following questions (write your answers in a journal):
- If you were your own boss, how would you evaluate yourself on your life thus far?
- What legacy would you like to leave after you die? What do you want people to say about you after you’re gone?
- If God did a performance evaluation on you today, how would you score?
- Based on that score, would you likely get more rewards or have to have more tears wiped away?
- If you’re score would not be satisfactory, what do you need to do differently to change that? List some specific steps you can start taking, a little at time. Remember…Lasting change takes place a little at a time.
If you had a performance evaluation with God today, would you be happy with your results? Why or why not? Leave a comment below (click on the post link to join the conversation if you’re viewing through e-mail).
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