Providence regarding God's sovereignty vs. man's responsibility

Calvinists believe God is sovereign in creation, providence, and grace. His sovereignty in providence makes shallow Christians think this means everything is determined, or, it doesn't matter what anybody does because it is all predetermined anyway. But God is the first cause, yet He works through secondary causes which can be determined, contingent, or free. Because we don't know which are determined, contingent, or free this creates a matrix of causality where effort becomes meaningful. I believe the individuals who make the efforts for the contingent and free causes see a reward in heaven for their effort. The Bible speaks of degrees of reward in the afterlife. Also, regenerate believers are able to make some efforts unregenerate individuals are unable to make simply because regenerate believers are able to not sin, whereas unregenerate individuals are unable to not sin. Regenerate believers can act from God's will rather than self-will whereas unregenerate individuals cannot.