Christianity at its core is about our stewardship of the life Christ has given us. For the most part it is lived out in the church scattered where we live, work and play.
In the parable of the talents, every leader was evaluated based on how well they invested what they had been given to use for His glory. The evaluation was not based on the quantity of the talents but on the character of the person.
Spiritually mature Christians are willing to do the hard work now knowing the rewards will come later. It requires faith because you are trusting in the Father to do what He said He would do.
Some people want to be blessed now and promise themselves they will do the work later of personal bible study, prayer and ministry. They are in reality consumers who are primarily concerned about being happy now instead of being faithful disciples.
I hate it when I hear someone say they just had a cheat meal. If you discipline yourself and do the work first, then it becomes a reward meal. Nothing to stress about and everything to enjoy.
The Christian life is that way. We are either investing for the benefit of others or we are merely consuming for ourselves. Our sacred calling in life is to know Him and make Him known.
That is the ultimate reward for a lifetime of faithful service. Nothing to stress about and everything to enjoy.