Scripture tells us that there is a reward for living with God’s priorities. So often in the Bible, the word reward is associated with our eternal lives, but Proverbs 22:4 tells us there is an earthly reward as well.

God is quick to reward two behaviors in our lives. God blesses those who choose to be humble and those who live in reverent awe of the Lord. According to the proverb, the reward for choosing a godly lifestyle is “riches and honor and life.”

God’s standards seem to stand in stark contrast to the messages in our culture. Could it be that is why the world teaches us to strive for success, elevate our self-images, and think of ourselves first? The world teaches us to earn our own blessings, and God tells us what he is quick to reward. We need only remember that Satan is the prince of this world to know which message we should follow.

God wants us to humble ourselves so that we can follow him as our King. Even Jesus submitted himself to God’s plans while on earth. God’s Son is our finest example of what it means to honor the Father and live humbly under his leadership. The difference between living with the world’s message and living with God’s is the source of our reward.

When we seek to build our own reputations, earn our own acclaim, and elevate ourselves, then we can never stop striving to keep the life we built from falling. It is the lesson Jesus was teaching when he spoke about building our lives on the solid rock rather than on the sand. When we live with God’s standards of humility and reverent awe, our rewards are his gifts of “riches and honor and life.”

A life marked by humility and fear of the Lord should be our high priority. That is the life lived peacefully in harmony with God and with others. It is a life God is able to reward with his blessings. God’s priorities are wisdom. What do you need to do to fully step into the blessed life God can reward?