I am a Christian. I love God's people, all of them. That includes the Jews, the Muslims, Buddhists, Witches, Homosexuals, liars, and thieves, down to the very bottom of the totem pole of society. Believe it or not, so does God!( gasp) Yes, that's right! God loves those dirty rotten people! Of course I'm being dramatic with that last statement, because God does not see us in that way. He loves each of us personally and deeply, so I hope you get the point of what I'm trying to say in this week's blog. Usually my audience consists of parents and teens, as I am a student and children's pastor, although this blog is applicable to all people. This week, I think anyone can relate to it, Christian or not. We are capable of some amazing things when we rely on God to guide us, but every so often we are capable of pushing people so far away from the cross of Christ that they spend the rest of their lives hating the church for it. This is not to condemn you, but to educate you. Here are 3 things that Christians have to stop doing.
1) Stop Condemning People
"Christians" all over the world have done horrifying things in the name of God. The abortion bombings, discrimination against homosexuals, etc. While these things are sins, it is not our place to judge. I think we tend to be outraged by a few certain sins because we view them as bigger than others. What we have to remember is that we have all fallen short of the glory of God, and as Romans 3:10 says" There is no one righteous, no, not one." Yes, it's true that we need to stand firm on God's word and take a stance against sin. But look at how Jesus did it, he did not threaten other's who didn't see it His way. He did not turn His back on them and shun them away from Him. He treated every single sinner, which we all are, with LOVE. The way we act towards other people has to always be in love, or we will never get anywhere.
2) Stop Being Comfortable
What in the world do I mean by this? I mean plopping our butt in a pew twice a week and thinking that we are okay in God's eyes. I mean reacting in anger every time something doesn't go our way because that's the easy thing to do. I mean not giving back financially to God because we worry about our finances. We tend to stay in our little bubble, protected from everything that we don't want to do because it's uncomfortable. One of the biggest mistakes that we make with new converts is telling them that things will be much easier once you choose Jesus. Yes, Jesus will one day wipe away every tear from our eyes but he also says the world will hate us. Doing the right thing is not always the comfortable thing.
3) Stop Being Scared to Talk to People
If you are introverted like I am, you might have a hard time approaching people about Jesus, or even doing something as simple as welcoming a guest at the church you attend. Don't be so afraid! All it takes is one time stepping out of your comfort zone, and you will find that the majority of people will welcome a spiritual discussion, and they certainly like to be welcomed to a new church that they have never been to before. So many people are turned off from the church simply because no one welcomes them. They feel alienated and looked down upon.
This week's post isn't to discourage you or tell you what you're doing wrong, it is to encourage you and to educate you on some of the things I have picked up on that WE as Christians are falling short of. Notice I said "we". There is always room for improvement in our walk with Christ. Christ is infinite, so there will always be more of Him for us to have. My prayer this week is for us to love as Christ loves us. See you next week on The Pulse, God bless!!
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