So you despise Christians

Ok, maybe despise is a bit strong. Think of the word Christian and jot down the first few adjectives that come to mind. If your list is primarily negative then it’s fair to say that you dislike Christians at the very least. Often, people who dislike, or even despise Christians do so because of experiences with Christians in their past.

Perhaps, You knew a Christian who was judgemental, who acted as though they were better than you, who implied that you were going straight to hell. Maybe they practiced a brand of Christianity that was an exercise in pain. Maybe they were legalistic, constantly quoting rules from the Bible. Maybe they handed you a booklet saying that Catholics are not Christians. Maybe they said that the problems that you face are a punishment from God because of something that you did……or your grandfather did. Maybe the way that they expressed their faith was just plain wierd. Once a Christian doggedly tried to save me in a public restroom. He tried to grill me about my faith to see if it met his standards……to see if I was following enough of his rules. (I sure hope he’s not watching the gate when I arrive). There are a lot of different ways to be a Christian. In a word…….it’s a big tent. Some do it very well……… others, not so much.

So……… if you are going to judge Christians, please don’t base your judgement on people who are doing it badly. Judge based on somebody who is doing it well…….somebody like Billy Graham or Mother Teresa. They are much closer to the heart of Christianity than the guy who acts pious or judgemental and then mistreats you.

Here are some simple tests to rate a Christian:

Are they acting out of love………for you?

Do they radiate joy?

If a Christian you meet fails these two tests, then don’t use them as an example of Christianity………… find a better model.

If you dislike Christians because of an experience in your past, maybe the picture of Christians that you are lugging around is inaccurate. Maybe you were exposed to somebody who just wasn’t doing it well……. and there are plenty of them. There is a very easy way to experience Christianity done well. Go to the source.

Get a copy of the bible that has the words that Christ spoke in red. Just read the red words. It won’t take long. Then you will see my faith as it was intended to be.

You will find that it is very hard to dislike the speaker.