This seems paradoxical to me, but I find myself thinking this about so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ. It goes against the great commission. It goes against everything Christ preached. But too often I find myself thinking this about people I know who profess to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
At risk of "calling the kettle black," I'm not writing this post in anger or judgment. I'm deeply saddened by this, convicted where I see it in myself, and pray for the Spirit to change me and my brothers and sisters who should be salt and light among the earth and known for their love. Way too often, we are known for our hypocrisy...
My story is about a man I know who claims Christ as his savior and Lord. He is a trustee of his church (whatever a "trustee" is, I don't know, but it's an officially recognized position of responsibility I presume). He frequently invites me to Christian gatherings in his church and other Christian clubs he attends. I have gotten along with him pretty well over the years.
But other friends we have in common have an incredibly negative perspective of this man. They shudder when he calls, and often avoid talking with or seeing him at all. When they do slip up and make contact or are forced to do so because they work together, he is snide, back-biting, disrespectful and cowardly in his sideways complaints and insults. I can honestly say that not a single person we know in common enjoys his company, and certainly no one has even the least bit of respect for him. He is a serious pain in the backside.
And this is the picture he leaves people of what "Christians" are like. He doesn't show the love of Jesus. He doesn't show compassion. He brings shame to the name of Christ, and drives people away. I wish he would not talk about his church or his organizations, and definitely wish he would never claim the Name of Jesus!
Christians, let's live a little more like Jesus! Jesus said that others would know us by our love, but now I'm afraid that others know us by our attitude of superiority. We think that we have a corner on righteousness because we're "saved" and are therefor better than others. Don't forget whose righteousness we are viewed under! "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:5
We are scum! We are the most wretched of all, if for no other reason than that we think we are not! Let's remember where we came from and look at people not through our eyes but through the eyes of compassion and love, wanting to be used to draw people to the Lord instead of having them go away thinking "if that's what a Christian looks like, I want no part of it!" I want to rededicate myself to having people know I'm a Christian because I treat them differently than others treat them, and that I love them as much as I am able like the Lord Jesus loves me. He didn't wait until I cleaned up my act and became "good enough" to call me to Himself. He came down to me where I was - lowly, sinful, addicted - and raised me out of my despair. Isn't that what we want for everyone?
So, let's not go around telling everyone we're Christians. Let's strive to show love and compassion, and then when someone asks "why would you treat me so well when the rest of the world treats me like dirt?" we can tell them, "we love you because Jesus first loved us."
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