We, as Christians, are full of contradictions. - We say we're pro-life, yet we are so quick to wish for the death penalty for convicted criminals.
- We actively oppose gay married in our attempt to preserve the sanctity of marriage, yet Christians have a divorce rate of 42%.
- We say we should only listen to Christian music, but non-Christian books and movies aren't an issue for us.
- We say we're all equal in God's eyes, but we segregate ourselves based on gender, income, race, and age inside the church.
- We're a royal priesthood, but we rely on a pastor to direct most our steps in our Christian life.
- We recognize the fact we're all sinners, yet when a pastor is caught in sin, they're promptly removed from the church.
- We know we're not of this world, but we're so surprised when we see people of this world not act like us.
- We say all sins are equal, but gluttony and gossip are routinely permissable offenses.
- We read the Great Commission, but instead all we do is invite our friends to church.
I spent much of my life with a distorted view of what it meant to be a follower of Christ. Here are a few of the things I believed that qualified me to be a follower of Christ:- Not drinking alcohol.
- Not using curse words.
- Not being friends with people who cussed, drank, smoked, or did drugs.
- Being inside the church building as much as possible when the doors were open.
- Inviting my friends to church services.
- Name dropping Jesus as many times as humanly possible.
- Being able to quote the "ABCs of Salvation."
- Attempting to scare people into heaven.
- Praying for my meals in public, and intentionally making it obvious what I was doing.
- Going on a missions trip every few years.
- Listening to only "Christian music".
- Trying to straighten my friends up when they already knew they messed up.
- Volunteering for programs at church, whether I was passionate about them or not.
- Voting only for Republicans.
I had it all wrong.Here's how Jesus sums up what it means to be follower of Christ:And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." ~Matthew 22:37-40
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