by Ancil Jenkins

Most have heard the old story of the man who refused to stand up when the preacher asked the audience how many wanted to go to heaven. "Don't you want to go to heaven when you die?" the preacher asked. "Oh, I want to go to heaven when I die," the man replied. "I thought you were getting up a group to go today."

How true of so many to see heaven as the only reward of Christianity. Paul said that godliness is profitable, not only for the life to come, but for this life also (1 Tim. 4:8). Even if there were no spiritual, eternal benefits from being a Christian, there are enough temporal benefits to make such a life worthwhile.

Christianity is profitable physically. The Christian regards his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and therefore respects and cares for it (1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 5:29). Harmful abuse from carelessness or use of drugs is not respecting the temple of the Holy Spirit. With such an attitude on the part of many people in the world, a Christian should naturally live longer, but because he has taken care of his health, his quality of life should also be much higher than average. He feels good enough to enjoy so many of life's blessings.

Christianity gives an economic benefit. We are called to be honest in all things. As Christians we are to give a full day's work for a day's pay. God's children do not work to please men, but work for their secular masters as if they worked for the Lord. Christian business should provide courtesy, service, and honesty, and such a business should prosper (Rom. 12:17; Eph. 6:6,7). Yet, personal satisfaction and security are not the only reasons a Christian earns money. He desires to have enough to share with those who have less (Eph. 4:28).

Christianity is also profitable from an emotional standpoint. I am constantly amazed and even amused that so many self-help programs are based largely on Biblical teachings. This does not say that some Christians will not have to seek help, guidance, and even therapy. However, unlike the non-Christian, God's child has the resources to meet life's stresses and make life's decisions, if he will only avail himself of them. The resulting security and self-assurances provide strong, healthy, and lasting relationships, strengthening every phase of life.

Even with all these wonderful physical benefits, still the greatest blessings of Christianity are the spiritual ones. One can endure a lifetime of sickness, pain, and disability and still have hope of the richest of all blessings. Even living in abject poverty without any of life's luxuries is not the greatest loss in the world. The greatest loss is the loss of the soul. And contrary to what most humans think, the greatest gain is to depart from this world and be with Christ, to live eternally with Him. What a blessing it is to serve the Lord! It pays both now and throughout eternity.

(Thanks to The Voice of Truth International, Vol 39.)