Ok, this title sounds sketchy. I understand, but hear me out.
Something has been on my mind lately. It seems like everywhere I looked on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, the news, etc. people were talking about the “Christians” in their world. And it wasn’t good, guys. I was inundated with stories of judging, mean-hearted, rude people acting in the name of Jesus. Please, please, please don’t get me wrong with what I am trying to say. I understand that everyone means well, and I am just as guilty of wrongfully portraying the unbelievable grace of our Savior. But it breaks my heart.
What are we doing??
We’re wasting the gift. Jesus came down to gift us with a scandalous grace. And we are wasting it.
He could have easily left us behind. But His LOVING, PATIENT, KIND, GENTLE, AWESOME-HOLY-POWERFUL-GRACE self gave us FREEDOM
It really was scandalous, eh?
We are at our core sinful, mean, dirty humans, and the God of the universe sees us as flawless, perfect, beautiful beings. It’s scandalous.
So it breaks my heart, and frankly, it down right pisses me off when the Church (and I mean the universal church, please don’t be offended) doesn’t show His love to others. Me, you, all of us believers need to step up our game. We have a job to do, and the Church is ALIVE. It’s just frustrating to see how at least the Western culture of “Christians” surrounding us today has been hateful, judgmental, and condemning.
We are beautifully unique beings, that may believe and act differently than one another. Shocker. Why do we have to be so mean? Jesus is the epitome of love. He hung out and chilled with the “worst” of us. He didn’t tear them down, insult them, or make them feel like they were any less. HE LOVED THEM. Let’s be more loving, Church.
“Christian” basically means that you adhere to the teachings of Jesus, right? But we have created an awfully bad reputation for ourselves. Admit it, a lot of people make assumptions about Christians due to the negative onslaught they may have received from one of “them.” I don’t want to be negative or mean. So I don’t want to be a “Christian.” Our Jesus Christ was audaciously loving, out of this world kind, over the top accepting, and always inclusive. THAT is what I want to be. I want to follow right in those footsteps. I want to be a Christ follower.
So all you other Christ followers out there: let’s be better. Let’s show the world what it is like to live in His FREEDOM! Because it is so much more than what we’ve been making it out to be. It isn’t about the rules. It is NOT about how many times you go to church, what music you listen to, how you dance, the things you may or may not eat or drink, the length of your prayers, or whatever else someone may have accidentally made you feel guilty for.
For anyone out there who was made to feel guilty, or as an outcast, or judged, or trampled: I am sorry. Please don’t let a bunch of normal people who make the same mistakes, shield you from our loving Father God. I’m sorry, and I personally hope to do better.
(Again, I understand this is not malicious and no one is trying to make others feel guilty—we may have just lost our way as a Church for a bit)
Anyway, it’s NOT about those things! It’s about the relationship. It’s about the intimate knowledge of who our Father is and showing that to others. It is all about the love. Let’s show it, spread it, scream it. LET’S LOVE EACH OTHER. That is what is going to win others to Christ. Because Christ is Love. Let’s not speak death into people’s lives, but instead speak life, and liberty, and joy. Because that is the life of a Christ follower.
Robert Hotchkins once beautifully stated that, “Christians ought to be celebrating constantly. We ought to be preoccupied with parties, banquets, feasts, and merriment. We ought to give ourselves over to veritable orgies of joy because we have been liberated from the fear of life and the fear of death. We ought to attract people to the church quite literally by the fun there is in being a Christian.”
YES. YES. YES.
And so we march on, all fellow Christians. Let’s love one another. Let’s party!!
