"I like Jesus okay, but I HATE Christians."

I think we have all heard this or a similar statement before.  Perhaps you were the one who said it.  I understand this statement, I really do.  Before I became a believer, the main argument I had against Christianity were the Christians themselves.  Jesus and his teachings can mostly be accepted by Christians and non-Christians alike.  Jesus' message is really indisputable.  It is love.  

Humans mess it all up.  Christians are human, and therefore, they mess it all up too.  I know I do.  I will never be the perfect Christian.  I am well aware of that and I never want to give someone the impression that I have it all together.  Not only am I a baby Christian, I am a little rough around the edges and more than likely have given Christians a bad name from time to time.  So why do Christians get such a bad rap?  Well, I have a couple guesses.

Have you ever met someone who professed they were a Christian, but didn't live their lives any different than non-Christians?  I have.  I am one of those Christians sometimes.  I fall into that trap of mediocrity in my faith where I just float along, thinking I'm saved and I don't really need to do anything else.  Well, some Christians stay in that place their entire lives.  This is a very bad example to set for a non-believer.  They see you as a hypocrite or just plain stupid. 

How about the Christians that are completely intolerant of anyone who doesn't agree with what they believe?  Now don't get me wrong here.  I don't think that anyone should agree with something that is against their beliefs.  What I mean by intolerance is hatred and judgment towards others who don't agree with them.  If I had to sum up Jesus' teachings, I would say that the most important thing He teaches us is to love God and to love others as ourselves.  Christians who hate are not following these teachings and are also turning every non-believer away.  I totally understand the non-believers problem with Christians like this.  It's a shame.  I know as a Christian I struggle with intolerance too, we all do.  If we can recognize it, it will make all the difference.  Personally, I desire to show others love even when I want to hate them.  It's a lot easier said than done I've found!  Sometimes just admitting we make mistakes as Christians is all we need to do. 

Ya know, I actually get somewhat irritated when I have to answer those questions about religious preference on legal documents.  It's almost like having to claim to be a Democrat or a Republican.  I know what I believe in and writing the word or checking a box doesn't make me anything.  I want to make decisions and live out my life based on my beliefs.  And those beliefs come from the Bible.  I hope Christians and non-Christians alike can recognize that claiming to be something doesn't mean that it becomes who you are.  It's in how you live your life and how you show love to others.

Bottom line, I'm sorry for any of you who have turned away from Jesus or Christianity because of Christians.  I assure you, there are a lot of good ones.  Sometimes, it's just a matter of going back to the root of things and understanding that "Christian" is just a word sometimes.  Look at the person's life.  If they are a true Christian they are admittedly flawed, but they are working to live out Jesus' love the best way they know how in their lives.  Just remember, Jesus was the only perfect one.  We are all imperfect.  A Christian who is living out their faith would not claim perfection because they know better than anyone that we are imperfect and in desperate need of God's grace.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16