Do non-Christians have easier lives?

"Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." —2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT)

While many well-meaning people tell others in evangelism that becoming a Christian will make your life instantly easier, that isn't actually a biblical take. When we start comparing the Christian life to that of non-Christians, we can really start to see the true cost of following Jesus.

Even Jesus told His disciples that if anyone wanted to follow and learn from Him, they would be hated by the world (Matthew 10:22), suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), and have to take up their cross to follow Him (Matthew 16:24). In the ancient world, this reference would have evoked feelings of humiliation, dishonor, misery, and shame—all things that come with a crucifixion.

Everyone is Made in God's Image

"Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it." —Romans 2:14 (NLT)

The New Testament speaks constantly about the persecution of faithful Christians and the rejection we will face by those who are hostile to the gospel. Sometimes a believer will recognize their own feelings of guilt, lack of perfection, and hypocrisy.

This might lead to feelings of envy toward the non-Christian because they can seemingly disregard their secret sins because no one is holding them accountable. However, non-Christians DO have a conscience, because ALL humans are made in God's image too—even if they don't believe in Him.

Everyone is Guilty

"Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." —Romans 3:24 (NLT)

Atheists and agnostics will still feel guilt, social pressure, and personal responsibility (Romans 2:14-15). Before I became a Christian, I still had integrity because I wanted to be polite and beneficial to society. Non-Christians feel immense guilt all the time for their hypocrisies, and some who call themselves Christians disregard or excuse their hypocrisies by treating God's grace like a license to sin.

To assume that Christians "have to" feel guilty or ashamed about their sin (while non-Christians don't) actually misses the point of how Jesus' sacrifice gives us freedom from guilt (John 8:36; Galatians 5:1). To focus solely on the difficulties of following Jesus is a bit of a narrow-minded view of Christianity. There are so many other nuances to consider.

God's Grace Overcomes Guilt

"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." —Romans 6:23 (NLT)

The thing that makes Christianity different from all other religious systems is how it views sin. Many religions have a works-based system, wherein you must do more good than bad in your life in order to "earn" your way into the best afterlife. However, the Bible teaches that nobody is good enough to get into heaven, that all have fallen short of God's standards (Romans 3:24), and that we all deserve an eternity in hell (Romans 6:23).

However, though everyone deserves spiritual death, God offers His grace—free of charge! Jesus died for us precisely so we could be forgiven and have a restored relationship with our Creator (John 3:16-17; 1 John 1:9; Hebrews 8:12).

Responding to the Sin Struggle

"Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1

Of course, even after being saved, we still struggle with sin (1 John 1:8), but our response to those temptations to sin is what matters. If we choose to wallow in our own shame and self-pity, sure, our lives may become less enjoyable. But being perpetually guilt-ridden about past sins will negatively affect us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually—and that isn't supposed to be a part of the Christian life!

When we sin, God wants us to acknowledge our wrongdoing for ourselves, confess it to God (1 John 1:9), meditate on His grace (Psalm 103:12), and then MOVE ON—while making sure to work on the issue so we can make better choices in the future and grow in our relationship with Him.

What God's Children Have That No One Else Does

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." —1 John 3:1

There are certainly some "downsides" to following Christ, such as the potential for persecution (2 Timothy 3:12-13) and having to exercise self-control when doing "whatever" we desire is often the easier choice (Galatians 5:19-25). But the multitude of GOOD that God offers us is well worth experiencing those downsides. And these are things that non-believers do not have access to— unless/until they accept Christ.

A Divine Relationship

Firstly, believers get to experience the single greatest thing imaginable: a true, loving relationship with the Creator of the Universe (Galatians 3:26; 1 John 4:19). The fact that our transcendent God cares for us personally and listens to our prayers, interacting with His children cannot be understated!

A Transcendent Peace & Joy

Second, followers of Christ get to experience the peace and joy that directly comes from God. While all humans can experience some level of joy and peace, the peace of God transcends how we feel in each individual moment. Happiness is fleeting, but God offers a joy that remains with us—even through dark times (Romans 15:13; Philippians 4:7).

A True & Worthy Purpose

"We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." —Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Even if a Christian experiences many hardships, a seemingly worse life than a non-believer, the Bible teaches that our suffering serves a greater purpose in our story and the story of the world (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17). Since God is sovereign, we can be assured that any suffering He allows in our lives is not in vain. While we may grieve losses (and it's OK to be sad), we can be assured there is a greater purpose to come (1 Peter 4:13; James 1:2-4).

Defining an "Enjoyable" Life

So is it true that Christians can't live as enjoyable lives as unbelievers? Well, life is life, and there's not always anything we can do about certain circumstances—regardless if it's "good" or "bad" that comes our way. Each person sees their life differently. Whether someone finds their life "enjoyable" is truly a matter of perspective.

It's true that one could argue that sin is "fun" and that forbidding Christians from certain experiences means they live a more "boring" life. But one quote I find super applicable is this: "Sin overpromises, yet underdelivers." God has called certain things sin, not because He's trying to make our lives worse, but because He knows those things will cause harm in our lives.

The Reason for Obedience

Essentially, sinful things may seem fun, exciting, or fulfilling in the moment, but ultimately sin is harmful and destructive to our lives and relationships—and that's not even considering God's eternal judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10). God isn't "denying" us the fleeting pleasures of sin, rather He is protecting us from truly awful, lasting consequences.

While following Christ may sometimes seem difficult or unenjoyable in the moment, the long-term benefits those actions have will lead to overall better health—mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Practicing self-control when we're tempted to sin may feel "unenjoyable" in the moment, but leads to better life satisfaction in the long run.

What truly matters in life isn't our own day-to-day pleasure, but truly living in the way God intended for us. Yes, ruminating on past sins can impede our daily enjoyment, and choosing to deny sin may seem "boring" or "unfun." But to do otherwise provides only surface-level "enjoyment." The calling of a Christian's life (Matthew 16:24) will bring the most long-term personal fulfillment in the long-run—both on earth and in the life to come.

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