It’s not an unknown fact that people can be a little bit skeptical of Christians. Some people think that we’re judgmental, that all we want to do is to force our religion on you, and that we think we’re better than everyone else. While this may, unfortunately, be true for some people, it is most definitely not true for the religion as a whole, nor is it representative of God’s love and what He wants for the world. Christianity has so many aspects to it, but there are three words that pretty much sum up what being a Christian means to me.

Grace.

I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I’m “too nice” and that they “don’t know how I do it”. The answer isn’t because I let people walk all over me or because I’m a perfect human being. It’s grace. Yes, people wrong me, and yes, sometimes it hurts, but I wrong God on a daily basis and yet he continues to love me unconditionally. If God is willing to forgive me an unlimited amount of times, even when I don’t deserve it, I believe that it is my job to spread God’s compassion here on Earth by giving His grace to others.

Love.

Christianity was built on love; however, it’s more than just God’s love for us. John 13:35 tells us, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Loving others at times can be quite a challenge, and being a Christian doesn’t magically make it easy. However, it does mean that I know what it’s like to be loved and I think everyone deserves to know that. By loving others, even when I might not want to, I'm giving them a chance to understand what it's like to feel God's love.

Trust.

This is perhaps the most challenging part of being a Christian, but also the most important. It’s pretty hard to trust your life and your future to someone who you can’t actually see, but Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” This tells me that being a Christian and trusting in God with all my heart, though difficult, means that I have someone looking out for me and that I have the promise of good in my future.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean that I’m going to hate you or judge you or look down upon you if you’re not one. Rather, it means that I’m going to forgive you and love you and wish the best for you, just as God does for me.