For many people who aren't practicing Christianity the hypocrisy of the church and of Christians is the biggest turn off from the religion. Christians are some of the most judgemental people you will ever meet. How many homeless people have ever been invited to your church-and actually truly been WELCOMED? How many pregnant teens have been made to feel like family in your church? How many drug addicted, sex obsessed people do you call friends in your church? What if they were there? Would you befriend them? I mean, REALLY be their friend. Love them and support them. Or would you shoot them the fake smile and talk about them to other members? If you see someone bashing Christianity, do you cuss them? Do you write them off? Come on, Christians. Come on, church. We are people who are striving to be Christ-like. Let me break it down for you, we-live-to-be-like-Jesus. If there were one description for Him it would be unconditional love. He loves you despite your flaws. Despite your dirty secrets and all of your past mistakes. Jesus loves YOU.
...He also loves the child molester and cheater just as much. There is nothing you could do right now to make him love you more. If you go out and win 1 million souls to Christianity tomorrow he doesn't love you any more than the girl sitting in her apartment shooting drugs into her arm. Or the 15yr. old girl having sex. He loves them too. His love is free and without limitations. God doesn't say, "as soon as you clean up your act, I'll love you; " nor does He say, "I'll sacrifice my Son if you promise to love Me." In fact, in Romans 5:8, we find just the opposite. God wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were still unlovable sinners. We didn't have to get clean, and we didn't have to make any promises to God before we could experience His love. His love for us has always existed, and because of that, He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.
John 15:13-Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
If God loves us THAT much-why can't we love each other with the same unconditional-limitless love? We love based on our emotions and feelings. We have to "feel" something for someone to love them. I believe Christian love is about getting to a place where you have a burning, passionate love for every human being that was put on this planet. After all, no one was put here by accident. We have to be able to look past differences, races, religions, sexes, beliefs, opinions, education, finances..etc. With that being said, we need to open our church doors to those who may seem the least deserving. The church should be the most welcoming place for a pregnant teen. We are all sinners-some sins are just not as obvious as others. We can't get on a high horse because once you do God will quickly let you know that you aren't where you think you are in your walk. He'll put circumstances in your life that will humble you. Instead of criticizing or condemning those who don't fall under our category of worthy-let's link arms with our neighbors and lift each other up..In JESUS NAME!
