I've recently been thinking deeply into the perception the world has of the Christian religion.

Life has led me to cross paths with a wide variety of individuals, each with their own background, beliefs, and experiences. In high school, my worldview and perception were limited to the small space of my hometown. I knew of a world apart from the one I was familiar with in high school yet had not truly experienced until I arrived at college.

College opened my mind and gave me a much deeper knowledge into how God called Christians to live. As Christ followers, we are called to love everyone. Not to love everyone IF they were Christians, or IF they lived a seemingly perfect life, or IF they were nice to us, or IF we got along with them, or IF they aligned with us socially. Christians are called to love everyone, with no qualifiers involved. I heard of this in high school but feel that I never truly grasped the extent of it until college.

In high school, I felt there was a divide in regard to how Christians should lead their lives and treat others. I was under the impression that Christians were required to have perfect lives, never messing up or letting the world know their flaws. I thought Christians had to be perfect people, but the truth is that Christians are not perfect.

In fact, they are very flawed. I had felt this immense pressure to lead a life I thought aligned with the "Christian culture." Yet the beauty of it all is that Christians seek Christ because they are flawed and because they trust His promises.

Christians are not perfect. Following Christ is much deeper than the label of "Christianity" and religion. Following Christ is a relationship. It is seeking God continuously, despite flaws, despite mistakes and transgressions. It is the creator of the universe allowing us a relationship with Him despite everything that makes us undeserving.

I'd love to see a world where Christians are not stereotyped as judgmental, exclusive, and hypocritical. I want Christians to be seen as they are called to be: loving, inclusive, joyful, and selfless. I want the world to see followers of Christ and notice something different about them – to see a much deeper joy and an unmatched love for others that comes with a personal relationship with Christ.

Christians are not perfect people; therefore, they shouldn't be expected to be perfect. Each follower of Christ is called to live according to God's will and His plan for their own life, and this looks different on everyone. There cannot be a mold for a "perfect" Christian, because of the uniqueness of each circumstance. There is not a "one size fits all" lifestyle apart from how boldly that followers of Christ love others.

I truly hope this resonates with at least one person. It's been something I've dwelled on for months and a concept that I am not done exploring. I am confident that I will be taught further yet am proud to see how far I have come in looking back at the mindset I used to hold.