What kind of work will be reckoned as gold, silver and precious stones?
Work done with right motivation—where the whole heart, conscious and subconscious, seeks God's glory rather than self—will be reckoned as gold, silver, and precious stones. Such work aims to please God and bring Him glory, not to enhance the ego; it is not easy but is done for the Lord's glory.
Les explains that the gold, silver, and precious stones represent things that are rightly motivated, where the whole motivation—conscious and subconscious—is for God to receive the glory, not for me or you. By contrast, things that enhance the ego will probably end up as wood, hay, and stubble. God looks at the motivation: why are we doing what we do? If we do it to be pleasing in God's eyes and to bring glory to Him, it will be reckoned as gold, silver, and precious stones. Such things do not come easy when done for the Lord's glory. The Christian life is like paddling a canoe up a roaring river—never easy, a constant battle against Satan and the world's designs—but God has promised we can do it.