What can evangelicals/born-again Christians do to change the negative view that non-Christians have about them?
I think as Christians often times we fail in loving people for who they are instead we only love them for who we want them to be.
I think that a major struggle for the church today is judgment. I think that we get too comfortable with what we are use to, or what is right, that we don't accept those who are different.
(Now at the same time I have seen too many churches accepting people to the point where they don't think they need to ever change. This isn't okay either. But I think that we need to better at balancing these two issues. But that is another topic for another time...)
The body of Christ needs to be all about love. I think the only way this generation is going to ever have a positive idea of Christianity and potentially even come to know Jesus it through love. Theology is not the answer most want today especially when it is being shoved down their throat's.
No one likes people looking at them because they dress funny or don't say something right. A person doesn't want to walk into a room and feel out of place like they don't belong.
I think that as a body we do this. We look at people like they are odd or like we are better than them. And although we may be uncomfortable, it still doesn't make it right.
We have been given so much grace, but we fail too often at giving that same grace to others.
So I think as Christians we need to love and show grace more. People don't want to be be judged and they also don't want to have Jesus shoved in their face.
I think that a major struggle for the church today is judgment. I think that we get too comfortable with what we are use to, or what is right, that we don't accept those who are different.
(Now at the same time I have seen too many churches accepting people to the point where they don't think they need to ever change. This isn't okay either. But I think that we need to better at balancing these two issues. But that is another topic for another time...)
The body of Christ needs to be all about love. I think the only way this generation is going to ever have a positive idea of Christianity and potentially even come to know Jesus it through love. Theology is not the answer most want today especially when it is being shoved down their throat's.
No one likes people looking at them because they dress funny or don't say something right. A person doesn't want to walk into a room and feel out of place like they don't belong.
I think that as a body we do this. We look at people like they are odd or like we are better than them. And although we may be uncomfortable, it still doesn't make it right.
We have been given so much grace, but we fail too often at giving that same grace to others.
So I think as Christians we need to love and show grace more. People don't want to be be judged and they also don't want to have Jesus shoved in their face.
Loving is hard, yes? We can't even love each other as Christians—so how are we going to love people out there? It's only through Christ's love flowing through us—if it's flowing through us!
ReplyDeleteMike