I'm beginning to understand why there are people who don't have a good view of Christians or even leave the faith. Not that I would ever condone such actions, nor do I have any plans of leaving Jesus, but I'm learning firsthand how Christians are not behaving in a manner that would make others want to convert.
We have Christians who go along with the "anything goes" idea of secular society, and that is not good. But we also have the polar opposite, Christians who believe anything and everything in this world is evil. They believe we should do nothing but read the Bible all day every day. People are not going to be attracted to a faith that tells you you can't do much of anything. Of course we shouldn't do wrong and we shouldn't neglect our Bibles, prayer, etc. but we can glorify God in other ways as well. You can pray while going about your daily tasks, use your God-given talents for good, and serve Him by helping others.
We need to have a better view of mental health. Some Christians go around judging and shaming people because their mental health isn't perfect. They accuse others of not having faith, not trusting God, being possessed, or being punished because of things beyond their control. Do you think that telling someone who is suffering they're a failure because of it is going to help them? No, it will only make things worse. The same goes for physical illnesses and other sufferings as well. God gave us doctors and medicine for a reason. People are not going to be attracted to a faith that treats you terribly if your life isn't perfect.
Seeing all the arguing, negativity, and hostility in some areas surely turns some away from Christianity. Not to mention the false hope that becoming a Christian will make your life perfect. Becoming a Christian is a wonderful thing, but it's not going to make all your problems go away. Jesus said we would suffer in this life, just like He did. If you convert because you want your life to be easy and painless, you're probably not going to stay Christian for long.
I am a sinner like everyone else, and I know I haven't always done a wonderful job of being a good example either. It's heartbreaking to see people leave Jesus and to see Christianity disliked. It's also sad to think that some of us are likely discouraging others from believing. We need to shift our focus to encourage people to believe in the proper manner. You don't know someone's heart from one post. You can't understand what they're going through if you haven't experienced it yourself. Always ask yourself, what would Jesus do? And be a light for others rather than a stumbling block.
We have Christians who go along with the "anything goes" idea of secular society, and that is not good. But we also have the polar opposite, Christians who believe anything and everything in this world is evil. They believe we should do nothing but read the Bible all day every day. People are not going to be attracted to a faith that tells you you can't do much of anything. Of course we shouldn't do wrong and we shouldn't neglect our Bibles, prayer, etc. but we can glorify God in other ways as well. You can pray while going about your daily tasks, use your God-given talents for good, and serve Him by helping others.
We need to have a better view of mental health. Some Christians go around judging and shaming people because their mental health isn't perfect. They accuse others of not having faith, not trusting God, being possessed, or being punished because of things beyond their control. Do you think that telling someone who is suffering they're a failure because of it is going to help them? No, it will only make things worse. The same goes for physical illnesses and other sufferings as well. God gave us doctors and medicine for a reason. People are not going to be attracted to a faith that treats you terribly if your life isn't perfect.
Seeing all the arguing, negativity, and hostility in some areas surely turns some away from Christianity. Not to mention the false hope that becoming a Christian will make your life perfect. Becoming a Christian is a wonderful thing, but it's not going to make all your problems go away. Jesus said we would suffer in this life, just like He did. If you convert because you want your life to be easy and painless, you're probably not going to stay Christian for long.
I am a sinner like everyone else, and I know I haven't always done a wonderful job of being a good example either. It's heartbreaking to see people leave Jesus and to see Christianity disliked. It's also sad to think that some of us are likely discouraging others from believing. We need to shift our focus to encourage people to believe in the proper manner. You don't know someone's heart from one post. You can't understand what they're going through if you haven't experienced it yourself. Always ask yourself, what would Jesus do? And be a light for others rather than a stumbling block.
