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A privilege is an advantage, right, or benefit that is not available to everyone – usually a relatively small group of people enjoys it. In my working company, we have “restricted parking spaces” for high-level managers. They enjoy the right to park their car on a reserved space that is close to the building and is always available to them. This privilege is to recognize their status in the company. There is another type of privilege called “handicap” parking spaces – these are for people who are unable to move as well as normal persons. This special privilege has been adopted as a law in every public place such as schools, malls, stores, etc.

Have you ever seen people who are not handicapped but parked at the handicap spaces?  I did and actually very frequent. The other day I stopped by a local Walmart store, while I was looking for a space to park, I saw a car quickly came from my behind and parked her car into a handicap space. Then, I saw a woman came out with kids walked directly into the store. To me she is certainly not a handicapped person. Later I did find out that she does have a handicap tag hung on her car. At that moment, I was confused and thinking about how to reconcile the definition of “handicap”.

Most of us may hear a common opening such as, “It is my privilege to be here, etc. etc……..”.  In our life journey, we may be given different privileges to do something or to make something. Don’t you think that is necessary for us to use the privilege rightfully?  I think so. For example, as a father, I have the “privilege” to bring up my kids and raise my family. You can argue and call this a “responsibility”. But when I said it is a “privilege”, it bears a different meaning because it is a “God given” privilege.

In our spiritual journey, what kind of privilege we have as God’s children? The Bible taught us that we could come before His throne of grace confidently that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). And, we can have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19). In addition, we could talk to Him directly, anytime and anywhere because His Spirit is dwelling in us and the Spirit would intercede for us. Finally, we have the privilege to reign with Him in His second coming.

When a privilege is abused, there are certain consequences could follow it. In the example of handicap parking, I was not happy to see people abused the privilege. The emotion prompts me to despise such an act because it would strip other true handicaps’ need at that time. Similarly, as Christians, we should be faithful in using our privileges. When we couldn’t live a godly life, we let other people lose confidence to God. Moreover, we would have difficulties to enter the Most Holy Place and talk to our heavenly Father with confidence. Isn’t this a significant matter?

During our last Friday’s group meeting, we studied the book of Hebrews, chapter 10. The author reminded his fellow Jews, “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 何 況 人 踐 踏 神 的 兒 子 ， 將 那 使 他 成 聖 之 約 的 血 當 作 平 常 ， 又 褻 慢 施 恩 的 聖 靈 ， 你 們 想 ， 他 要 受 的 刑 罰 該 怎 樣 加 重 呢 ！(Hebrews 10:29)” I was reminded unequivocally too.

My dear brothers and sisters, we were granted a privilege to enter God’s family and to come before Him confidently. May our Lord help us to treat this privilege seriously and enjoy the privilege while we can.