Most of the time when we make decisions we wonder, “What’s in it for me?” or, “How will I benefit?” We probably never say those exact words, but those questions are in our minds.

We weigh how our choices will affect us when we choose a school, take a job, marry a spouse, decide where to eat, where to live and what time to get up.

Maybe we think it’s wrong or selfish to ask, “What’s in it for me to follow Jesus? What will I get? Is this my way to success? Would I be better off going a different route? Will Jesus help me fulfill my athletic dreams, or will He be a hindrance?”

In Psalm 73, Asaph wondered about these things. Asaph saw arrogant and wicked people around him flourishing while he was being faithful to God and suffering.

He wondered, “God, what’s in it for me? Is my right living in vain? Which life is the good life? Why shouldn’t I switch teams?”

Athlete, do you ever wonder those things? If you do, you are in good company. Part of having an open and honest relationship with God means we will sometimes ask those questions.

At the end of the psalm, Asaph concluded: “Those who are far from You will perish … But as for me, it is good to be near God.” (Psalm 73:27-28 NIV)

The meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace. (Psalm 37:11) We will be near God and have eternal life. All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are ours in Christ (Colossians 2:3). In God’s kingdom, our bodies will be raised from the dead. No other kingdom offers such benefits.

That’s what we get. That’s what’s in it for us. That’s what we stand to gain. That’s not a “prosperity gospel;” that’s the reality of God’s kingdom.

In God’s kingdom, even if we have nothing else, we have it all. We may get injured, never get on the field, make the first team or get noticed by the media, but still be blessed in the true sense of the word.

You might feel like the payoff could be better if you took a different route. You might see corruption rewarded and cheaters win and get praised. You might envy the lifestyles of the careless — even Asaph did for a minute.

Athlete, persist. No way of life pays off like the kingdom life. Make your choices rooted in that fact.

Know that if you ask God “What's in it for me?" God answers, "Merely everything.”