Thankful for Our Christian Perks
Being a Christian means having to make choices, give up some fun things in life, and necessitates a mindset that puts us at odds with the world. Yet, Christianity is WELL worth it! Our God is incredible in that He blesses us repeatedly as we strive to serve Him while living on this earth. Furthermore, Christians are guaranteed additional perks by virtue of the relationship that we share with one another. Considering some of these perks is a great way for us to be reminded about how wonderful our God is and how truly thankful we should be.
Christianity guarantees us the perk of assistance in suffering. When we lose a friend because of our determination to not serve the world, lose a loved one to physical death, or spend nights lying awake because we're worried about any number of things going on in our lives, it can be tough. But, consider going through those difficulties without God or our spiritual family. Now that's really tough! God tells us that when suffering occurs, we need to turn to Him in prayer (James 5:13). What a great privilege it is to not have to deal with challenges alone, but to know that God wants us to seek Him in prayer during such times. Any Christian will also tell you how great it feels to be able to turn to his spiritual siblings and ask them to pray for him as well! Indeed, God has given us a great perk by helping us out when we suffer in life.
Christianity also provides us with assistance in time of sickness. Again, the writer James asks, "Is anyone among you sick?" He provides the spiritual prescription to those of us who would say yes: "Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him" (James 5:14). Jesus spent a great deal of time during His life on earth healing those who were sick. One woman knew all she had to do was to get close enough to "touch" Him and His power was enough to heal her sick daughter (Matthew 9:20-21). The same perk is true today in that we can speak to our Father seeking His help when either we or someone we care about is dealing with sickness. To think of dealing with all of the sickness on earth and not have our God and our fellow Christians to help us is a very sad thought. To know that's not the case is something that demands our thankfulness!
Finally, being a Christian means we have assistance in our spiritual walks as we strive to be faithful in our God's service. James uses the phrase, "if he has committed sins" in James 5:15. The sad truth is that this particular phrase applies to each of us. We are sinners who, as much as we want to do right, frequently find ourselves having done wrong in the sight of our loving Father. The great news, though, is that we can ask our God for forgiveness when we act contrary to His will. Furthermore, James goes on to talk about the support that Christians are to provide each other as we struggle to do what's right. The final verses of his letter clearly illustrate the beauty of looking out for each other and assisting each other when there's a chance that one could fall into sin.
As we consider all the many things for which we should be thankful, it's vital for us to remember these and the many more perks which God provides for us as live in this life and attempt to walk on His righteous paths.