The odds of it happening are a million to one.  But there is a possibility that someone should ask me, “What’s it like to be a Christian?”  I ponder what to reply.  I could site the difficulties within society, but to what avail?   The differences are well known.  And it’s very likely the questioner would know many aspects related to society.

I could site the hope we have in the Lord’s promises.   But these too are fairly well known.  The punishment and rewards are spoken of daily.  Both are even used in the world’s joking.  What answer could that be?

But one aspect of Christianity that is not clearly related, even within the “body” of Christ, is that of our “schooling” from the Lord.  He is the Master.  We are His pupils.  What happens in the classroom of everyday experience is not often related with much clarity.  So to this I will attempt an answer.

Christianity is all about God.  Our learning is coming to grips with two very different problems.  The first problem is language.  It’s not the actual words that give us difficulty.  It is that God’s Kingdom is so utterly unlike anything we’ve ever known.  To top that off, He expects His people to grasp His meaning as fast as possible.  If He is to teach, we must learn the foreign language of perfection and Holiness.

The other problem is that of rebellion.  From our birth to our death, we are locked in a body that literally hates the Lord.  I know that you won’t understand that unless you’ve encountered the Holy Lord of Life in an intensely personal way.  But I’m trying hard to relate what is true.

He will teach one aspect of His nature and expectations.  We receive the truth He imparts with our version of humility.  Once understanding comes the flesh rises up to defend its turf.  Now we are set to a battle.  Do we cave to the incessant pleadings of the filthy nature we have lived in?  Or do we war against those urges and apply what we have come to understand.

There is Grace among all this learning.  But there is also a place where we reach our end of willingness.  There are two means the Lord will apply to get us through our unwillingness.  Depending on our desire to obey, the Lord may use soft coaching or a seriously hard encounter to rectify our plight.  Every Christian who is earnest in his commitment to God will testify to their own experiences with both means.  And it must be said that, that even in His “wrath” the compassion of the Lord is intense.

The Christian is reminded, often and clearly that God is Love.  He is taught to trust regardless “what is”.  And this brings up the last aspect I can think of that may be useful.

When we have learned what the Lord has taught, expectation is placed on us to retain that learning and apply it continually.  It’s not like school or college, or even a work environment.  From those you can go home and live as you please.  You can even choose to change your direction or job.  But Christianity is a Holy experience that will culminate in eternity.  What He teaches here remains upon us even after death.   We are learning to “become”.  We are not learning the rules of His society.

When we side step our learning, we quickly learn of His stern nature.  Our eyes widen and our hearts skip a beat.  He comes to correct.  For we have willingly forgotten what He knows full well we understand.  These are vastly unpleasant times.  But every earnest Christian will encounter them.

Is it all worth it?  A categorical YES is in order.  We are the wicked ones.  He is the PURE One.  What a privilege it is that He should be patient yet stern with us!  What an honor to learn His Holy language.  Even a “beating” from the Lord is to be preferred to what we were.  And the further we go from what we were, the more we come to respect, love and desire His presence.

I have not talked about the experience of coming before His Holy Throne.  But that would be a matter between earnest Christians.  For even to mention the Holy things of God among non-believers would not provoke understanding within them.  And we should not think to bring what is Holy into disrepair.  It’s not that I don’t desire to share.  It is that He is so beautiful we desire to shield His beauty from ridicule.  If you enter into His Holy Service, He may show you what I’m talking about here.  It is always at His wise discretion to share such things.