We put higher expectations on those who share our faith – other Christians. We expect them to be understanding, supportive, and kind. We never expect them to “kick us when we are down”. We never think they will be the ones who will hurt us, or speak harmful things to us. I don’t mean to excuse the bad behavior of some, but we often put higher expectations on other Christians than what is fair. We may think the world is out to hurt us, but other Christians are our brothers and sisters so we should be able to always trust them to have our backs. For those from big families, we know that sometimes the people that can hurt us the worst are those we are closest to. Christians can be the most hurtful people because we do in fact often put them on some kind of pedestal. We expect them to be different. After all the bible says in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” We are expected to show love – especially for fellow believers. The problem is Christians are not perfect. We know how we are supposed to act, but we all have struggles trying to be the people God has called us to be. It may be that the people who say or do things to hurt us have good intentions. The best meaning people can sometimes hurt us by their words or actions. They may not even realize they are being offensive. Some people are just flat mean. They think they are being direct, or being truthful. They excuse their words or actions by saying such things as “I have to tell the truth.” Or, “I can’t help speaking my mind; or I have always been very direct.” These are weak excuses for offending people. These people are simply being insensitive and can be vindictive. The Bible warns beli... ... middle of paper ... ...hing, but just spent time with them and allowed them to grieve. Another useful cliché is “If you can’t improve on silence - don’t try.” David was an incredible poet. He put pen to paper when he was sad, when he was afraid, and he was grieving. Reading the Psalms is almost like reading the very private thoughts and personal journaling of this man after the Lord’s own heart. Many of his writings are so personal. Reading the Psalms brings such comfort because in them we can see ourselves and often times it is as if we are looking at a mirror of ourselves and what we are going through. Most Christians don’t mean to be hurtful with their words. In fact, most think they are being helpful by quoting scripture, or spouting clichés. Don’t hold it against them. Be patient with them. Sometimes you have to tell them what is or isn’t helpful for you right this moment.
Dan Greenburg explains in, “Sound and Fury”, how a simple kind words can avoid “a minor act of provocation” (464). In today’s society, people tend to overlook what they say and how they say it to avoid any dramatic event. People have a tendency to put their pride before thinking, which causes theatric event as explain when Dan Greenburg mention, “we carry around a lot of free-floating anger” (463). Holding in anger cause people to overreact an action that could have been handle in different kind of situation. A person should put their emotion a side and think about what kind of consequences their actions can bring. Today, people are always getting in fights in bars or school footballs game which shatters other people’s fun. It makes people
This stereotypical point of view from nonbelievers actually has driven many away froth church and the Christian faith. A recent survey from “Relevant Magazine,” asked a group of people who identified as atheists and agnostics who all previously attended some form of a modern day christian church, why they left the church. Over 85 percent of the people surveyed blamed harsh and judgmental Christians as the primary reason they walked away from the Christian faith. The evangelism method employed by the modern church is one that can easily be misconstrued as a person judging them for who they are. Church leaders should take the prospective of the outsider into consideration for their perspective and response is the only measurement of the effectiveness of their body of Christ’s effectiveness in their
The Christian faith focuses on the orientation of the human heart behind human thoughts and actions. Living by faith is a beautiful alternative to the way people think of themselves and the way they live in relation to others in their daily lives (Merrick, 2014). Christians see themselves in terms of God’s profound love for them but not in terms of what they do. The teachings of the Christian faith; nonviolence, non-retaliation, inward integrity, selflessness, and love your neighbor as yourself provide the framework for ethical thinking. Although, adopting belief in Christianity can bring forth confusion in the heart and mind causing agony of learning to sacrifice one’s rightful claims for personal justice for the restoration of another (Merrick, 2014). Unconditional forgiveness is difficult to understand because spiritual forgiveness and actual costly forgiveness is viewed as the same in the gospel. If you do not forgive, then one does not have faith in God’s forgiveness as it really is. Christianity influences a person thinking and behavior developing wisdom which requires faith. The faith that is needed to reorient the heart away from selfishness to selflessness.
Many people believe that today’s Christians are too sheltered and oblivious to the real world around them. When asked, many outsiders compared today’s Christians to “The Titanic - a ship about to sink, but unaware of its fate” or “a hobby that diverts people’s attention” (Kinnaman 120). It is important Christians to not just stay secluded in one group (church group), but to be talking to others (outsiders) so we are aware of the problems and thing that are going on in the world around us. As Christians we are called to be disciples of Jesus by reaching out to those in need, praying for those around us, and calling people to become the church. In “Unchristian” David Kinnaman outlines three main things we as Christians should include in our lives: accepting responsibility, not being fearful, helping the desperate, being prepared, and keeping a balance.
I believe if a person calls themself a Christian they should be held to a higher standard of their ethics. As a Christian, you have been called to exemplify God in all that you do, whether that be in ministry, child rearing, or everyday normal life. Just because you are a Christian does not mean that you are not going to mess up. We fail God daily, and those decisions bear consequences just as they do for anyone else. Holmes (2007) states that “consequences play an important part in moral decisions, and not least for the Christian. The problems with basing ethic on consequence alone must not blind us to this fact. Christians should be more concerned with doing good to others and should doubtless make decisions that contribute to God’s purposes in this world” (p. 51). A good example of this would be tithing to the church. A single mom with one income and 3 children, who is a Christian and “follows all the rules” does not tithe because she needs to use every penny she gets to care for the needs of her family. We have been commanded to seek His kingdom first, and our tithes go to the church to help reach others. On a personal level, I understand her resistance to doing this, but we are to put the kingdom of God before our own needs and trust in Him, that He will provide what we need. “Our highest end, as Jesus said, is to love the Lord our God with all our being, and for his
Men don't grieve, or do they? Men who grieve are something that is rarely seen in today's society. This past year my grandfather, Lynn Osborne, passed away and I suffered a great loss. This man was my grandfather, my father, and my true best friend. Throughout my life, he taught me many things and without him I thought I could not go on living. In my eyes, there was no point in being here. I would rather it have been me so that way I could still see him.
Having come so far through our loss and grief, we have gained something. There comes a special calmness and depth to our soul that we never knew before. This calmness is not something we wish for anyone because it is born of terrible hurt and pain. We are able to smile again now – perhaps not as bright and innocent as it once was – but smile all the same. In losing the innocence we once had we have gained a compassion and gentle strength that would never have been gained any other way. We now have a unique perspective on grief that we are able to use to help others.
The misconception of what God wants us to do with our lives is shown in today’s youth. An example of this is simply looking at the effects of life today. Children and adults everywhere are turning against one another and resulting in violence. Typically, when asked to describe a Christian words like self-centered, hate, and hypocritical flash through the mind as qualities. This is where the stereotypical response is wrong. Being a Christian does not mean the feeling of hatred towards everyone who sins is present, or that every action is hypocritical to what is being said. Christians often go as the unheard group of people due to the disbelief in what is said. Consequently, the persecution of God’s Word happens daily when the heart of one of His children dies without ever knowing Him. A Christian does not mean that life is perfect and that going to church every Sunday makes a person one. In reality, attendance at church, but not grasping to the message being told serves no purpose at all. The confusion and contradiction of various definitions of what a Christian is one way the Word of God is dying along with the world around
Most people tend to get over it after a while and not hold a grudge. We might not like someone because of the way they look, their race or their sexuality. Most people tend to keep that inside themselves and let those people enjoy their freedoms like everyone else. There are many instances where people are mean to others in various ways and it is at that time where we must stand up and do something in order to prevent horrible things from happening. If you stand by and do nothing, you are no better than the person committing the act of
Christianity is always described to me as a loving religion that cares for all, But this is not always the case. Upon reading, among other theological works, “Quest for the Living God” by Elizabeth A. Johnson, it becomes apparent that Christianity is used to systematically marginalize women throughout history despite the teachings of the Bible. While it might not be intentional, the negative treatment of Women was ingrained into Christian teachings over hundreds of years.
I’ve met many people who say they’re Christians but don’t really exhibit the Christian attitude. They don’t try to have a loving or patient attitude or try to spread God’s word to others. There are some who also don’t go to church. Personally, I think some of these trends have reasons. Some of the “non-dedicated” Christians may still be learning how to properly communicate God’s word. Also, attending church is not required. Faith in God is what truly makes one a Christian. There may be some people who don’t have true faith in God, but, as I said before, we should force feed God onto them. If they truly desire God, then God will go to them.
The greatest method to discover more about Christianity and how it differs from other religions is to read the New Testament. There is much distinction between being a Christian and being religious. Most religions have rules of behavior. Jesus had only one rule for His followers: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Christianity is concerned only with loving God and people. Therefore, while all other types of religion are false, Christianity offers reasons for why it is
Christians are stereotyped as outspoken and annoying in a sense that most of their actions are concerned with trying to convert people to their religion. Christians are also known for ruining social events by telling everyone they are going to hell. As much as I’d like to oppose these people and their ideas, these type of people exist and it’s a stereotype that really pushes my buttons, because not all Christian’s are like that.
In Romans 12, Paul offers his thoughts on how Christians should be living together and treating one another. Paul commands us to take care of one another, live in harmony, and to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” What Paul is essentially saying is that if one member of the church is suffering, the church is to share in that suffering. If one member of the church has an achievement or a joy, the congregation is to share in that joy. When members of the church share their joys and concerns, the body of Christ and true hospitality becomes a reality.
...have begun the process of becoming a better person. Those who practice Christianity boast of having higher levels of joy and happiness in life no matter what circumstances they may be facing. “A person that is truly Christian, one who studies, practices and teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ on a regular basis, has a fullness of joy regardless the difficult adversities that they may face in their life”(Smith). To help guide many people of the world in finding joy and happiness associated with becoming a christian, churches have worked hard to make it their top priority to “Strive to be an "open-door" church, actively reaching out and welcoming all persons”(NBUMC).