What is so great about being a Christian? This may seem like a strange question, but it is obviously being asked by many who either claim to be Christian and have not darkened the door of a church in a long time, or who profess no interest in spiritual matters.

On any given Sunday, the majority of people in most communities are anywhere but in church. What is so great about being a Christian?

We are all human, and despite all kinds of diversity, we yearn for the same things. We want to be accepted. We want status. We want to feel that we are necessary. Life does not necessarily provide any of those things, but knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord does.

The apostle Paul's life as a Christian was so vital for him that he risked everything and ended up in prison, for nothing more than claiming faith in Christ and attempting to share that faith with everybody he met.

While in prison, Paul wrote a letter to the Christians at Philippi. In Philippians 2:1-2, Paul spoke of every human benefit possible and related them all to Jesus Christ: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion. . . ." Key words--encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness, and compassion--are all included in his statement.

We chase money, hoping it will bring comfort, friends, and inner peace; but the opposite is realized. Our chase for money only makes us less secure. We vie to be famous, to stand out from the crowd; but after the applause is over, we are still alone, waiting for the next opportunity to perform. We look for love in all the wrong places and find our lives to be shallow and meaningless.

In his letter to the Christians at Philippi, Paul spoke of encouragement, which is the true lifting of our soul in spite of desperate circumstances. David, soon to be king of Israel, found himself on one occasion devastated. His camp had been attacked, and his wives and children had been kidnapped. All his goods had been taken. The people he was leading had so turned against him that they spoke of killing him (1 Samuel 30:3-6). In the midst of this deep, dark circumstance, we are told that "David found strength in the LORD his God."

How do you find strength in God? First, you believe that God loves you and that, indeed, you matter to Him. Second, you acknowledge that He is in control. Third, you recognize that only God holds the future. And fourth, you realize that everything in life is in God's hand.

The only true, lasting encouragement comes from God.

Comfort is something else Paul spoke of in Philippians. Paul was in prison, literally awaiting death. The Christian belief is all about eternity and the comfort of knowing that a genuine believer in Christ will be forever with God when he dies. Nothing on earth can threaten your comfort if your life is firmly planted in eternity.

Next Paul mentions "fellowship with the Spirit." We all want deep, meaningful, non-threatening relationships. After Jesus Christ died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead, He went back to heaven to be with God, but He promised the Holy Spirit to His followers (John 16:5-15). The Holy Spirit ministers to each of us just like Jesus did with His chosen disciples on earth.

And then, Paul speaks of tenderness and compassion. We all want to be good people, well thought of and sought after. The qualities of really caring and being known that you care do more to build deep relationships than anything else.

What is so great about being a Christian? All the things that really matter are only possible to the Christian who seriously follows Jesus Christ and takes full advantage of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God. It can't get any better than that!