Lines some Christians cross

Warning: This post will not sit well with some people, but this all comes from something I felt prompted to write and it is based on Biblical truth.

There is no doubt that people are passionate. Everyone in life has a different background, and a different story of upbringing. These different upbringings are a huge part in what shapes our passions and how we express them.

Some people tend to come off a little too strong or declare their way or the highway. This results in some ground gears on the opposing side's part, and is most of the time left unresolved. A very prominent presence in this type of conflict is from Christians.

I am a Christian. I chose this lifestyle because I thought this way of life is the best option. I chose it because of my experiences with God and hearing experiences from others. My goal in this life is to get as many people in my little boat as possible so that we can sail into eternity together as we experience God all along the way.

But not everyone thinks this way. Not everyone has made this choice yet. And, not everyone will end up making this choice, ever.

As someone who believes in Jesus wholeheartedly, that fact does deeply sadden me.

However, I will not traipse around demanding everyone to live like Jesus would have.

I tend to find it extremely unfair when Christians hold non-Christians to their same standards.

Christians are not perfect. At all. Not even close. We never will be. (Well, Duh, you just thought.) But as we get to know Jesus, we get to know His character and God's will for our lives. There is a change accompanied by the Holy Spirit that does empower us to be set apart not just in our own power. As you get to know someone, you start to act like them sorta. It happens all the time (think of your best friend). However, we still mess up all the time. We cannot expect perfection from the world... especially when the only perfect individual is Jesus Christ.

"Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.) But when the teachers of religious law saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, 'Why does he eat with such scum?'

When Jesus heard this, he told them, 'Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.'" Mark 2:15-17

Jesus loved people where they were, and then when they chose to follow Him, He would gently show them the messy areas of their lives.

God gives us freedom to correct other Christians after we have made sure we aren't being hypocritical.

"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Luke 6:42

And of course,

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1

What I'm trying to say in this post is that Christians are very responsible for stirring up heat between people with different beliefs. I see it happen all the time and it's ruining people's views on Christianity. Just know that Jesus loves everyone where they are, and as people choose Him, He will set their paths straight. Until that choice is made, however, we cannot expect everyone in the whole world to be Christlike. Passion can be and often is off-putting. Analyze your audience and environment before spewing off rules.

Tell people about Jesus, then wait for Him to work in the way He does. Don't force it. People are bad at being gentle but Jesus is great at it. Stick to what you know. Love people. Search for God's will. But make sure you're sticking to the business (in the corrective sense) God has called you to: your own, and sometimes your Christ following community around you.

Stop trying to change people who haven't chosen to change.