7 (no, 8!) Splendid Surprises About Being a Christian

I think the story of the resurrection permeated my soul more this year than ever before. Can anyone relate? Perhaps it was the quietness. Maybe, since I didn’t run around making food for events, I managed to take in more spiritual food.

Being a Christian does not make life easy. Marnell received multiple phone calls and a letter from a certain jail this week. Brett wishes to be bailed out of jail, a mere three weeks or so after Marnell told him that if he doesn’t go to rehab, he will probably end up in jail. (We are not planning to bail him out.)

But knowing Jesus Christ and accepting his free gift is full of blessings, regardless of our circumstances. Here are a few!

Originally published on the Ultimate Weekly Planner site.

As a child, I failed to fully appreciate the blessing of growing up in a Christian home. As an adult in nursing school at a secular college, I learned just how outdated Christianity appears to many people. Unfortunately, everyone knows someone who carries the banner “Christian” but doesn’t follow Christ. This is sad.  Yet, these very attacks on Christians have led me to realize how splendid it is to know Christ. Here are seven things I find wonderful and surprising.

1. The incredible creativity of God. Isaiah Chapter 53 stops me cold with shock and awe every time I read it. That God could give an ancient prophet such a graphic description of the life of Jesus Christ hundreds of years in advance is amazing and glorious.
2. The equality of all people at the foot of the cross. Our own people won’t help us, I heard the middle eastern refugees say. Only the Christians. Christians get a lot of negativity today about how closeminded they are. Yet it continues to amaze me that wherever I have encountered hurting and broken people, who do I find helping? Christian organizations. In Alabama. In Haiti. In Jordan and Lebanon. In Texas. In New York City. In Elkhart.
3. The astonishing solution for life’s problems: blood.  Sometimes the symbols that God chooses make me want to laugh and cry all at once. From Abel’s offering to the Passover in Egypt, blood symbolized the most valuable kind of sacrifice. But I don’t think anyone thought that God could love us so much He would demand the blood of his own Son.  Which brings me to:
4. The unrivaled marriage of justice and love. Jesus’ death on the cross must be the most shocking and terrible of all God’s creative plans. Not even the smartest, most powerful people of that time saw through God’s master chess move on Calvary. Just as Satan thought he was moving in for a checkmate, God defeated his game with a quiet move of his King.
5. The power of the Word of God. Since making an effort to share Scripture with people on my street, I have rediscovered its surprising power to calm and soothe. In a house, trashed by cats and full of plastic baggies of brown powder. On a porch, beside a door with no handle. In my living room. God’s Word remains potent when my words fail.   
6. The ability to access God anywhere, anytime. Jesus, help me know what to do! This type of prayer is like lightning, and the answer of God’s Spirit is like lightning. The flash of peace to the soul is unlike any other power I have ever experienced.
7. The hope of life beyond this life.  What priceless promises we have from Jesus Christ about heaven and eternity! Can you imagine life without them?

Attacks on Christianity merely prove the Bible faithful yet again. Jesus said that his kingdom was not of this world, and that it would be attacked.

What a splendid, surprising Savior!  

Addendum as of this morning: Here’s one more wonderful thing about being a Christian: church family. We got a curbside delivery of hot, fresh donuts from Jeff and Louisa Miller!