We go to church on Sunday. We meet for discipleship group once a week. We find the "perfect" campus ministry. We take on leadership positions in our campus ministries and in our churches. We go on mission trips. We wear our Jesus T-shirts. We call ourselves Christians. And then to top it all off, we get to go home at the end of the day and be the biggest hypocrites the world has ever seen.
I bet you weren't expecting that part. I know that I wouldn't have had I not read something like this a few months ago. It sounds harsh, it seems really derogatory, but it isn't meant to be that way at all -- I can assure you of that. My intentions are not to hate on Christianity, because Christianity is a wonderful covenant that we're able to share with an even more wonderful God. My intentions are to bring to light what I like to call the "I'm a Christian" complex and to explain how claiming the title of Christian, and how talking the talk but not walking the walk, is more detrimental to Christianity than anything.
This concept has been heavy on my heart since the beginning of this school year. I have a lot of friends who are Christians. I have received boundless help myself from these friends, I have been given support, encouragement and love from these friends as well. I've also seen and heard some of the worst backstabbing, gossiping, and hurtfulness from the Christian community, as well.
I know that mistakes happen, we are human. We are not perfect, but we are held to a higher standard. I make mistakes daily, probably more than most people that I know, so I'm certainly not leaving myself out of this one, but there is a reason that people say they don't want any part of Christianity, and the reason is often because of the "I'm a Christian" complex.
It's not enough to say that you're a Christian, to take on all the leadership roles that we have, to join the groups and attend the churches that we do, to say that we represent Jesus, yet our actions represent something completely different. It's not enough to worship God on Sunday and then be engulfed by willful sin constantly the other six days of the week. We can't point fingers at those who aren't Christian and say that they're wrong when we don't look any different than them to the world. And even if we do look different, we really don't if we are condemning others because they sin differently than we do.
We can't gang up on someone who's different and pick out every flaw that we perceive them to have and then tear them down word by word. Whether it be to their face or, even worse, behind their back. We can't gossip about people that we know, don't really know but have heard about, and even worse, people that we are supposedly friends with. We can't. We can't get drunk every night and then judge other people based off of a decision we think they're wrong for making. We can't hold grudges, stay angry and become bitter toward someone for something we feel like they wronged us in. We can't complain about every single aspect of our lives constantly and then pray to God always asking for more and more because we aren't content. We can't do all of these things because "everyone else is doing it" or because it makes us fit in with those around us.
I say "we" in all of this because I'm including myself. I do the same things. I don't always stand up for people when they're being made a victim. I've torn down people to make myself feel better. I get caught up in gossip sometimes. I get angry, I get hateful. I complain. I am constantly trying to get "more." But I know that I have to change this. I have to make a difference to show a difference to the world. I don't want to be a part of the reason why people say "I don't want any part of Christianity" or even worse "I don't want any part of Jesus." Because those things aren't Jesus. And they certainly don't represent Him in any sense.
Claiming the title of "Christian" means we are changed, we are a people set apart, and we are called to represent Christ in all areas. This doesn't mean that we won't make mistakes, that we'll just magically never sin again when we become a Christian, but it does mean that we strive to change. We don't tear everyone apart. We don't gossip about everyone, including our friends. We don't complain about every little thing. And we don't judge or condemn anyone regardless of how different they may be from us.
Saying "I'm a Christian" and then the Christianity ending there isn't going to cut it. I want to stand up and make a difference, I want to win the world for Christ. It's not about fitting in, we were never made to do that. The truth is, we shouldn't fit in. We were created to stand out, to be set apart, and to show a Godless world who God truly is through our action as Christians, not through our ability to speak empty words that lead to broken promises.
Will you take a stand and stand out with me?
