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I’m Proud to Be a Christian, but the Way Some of Us Act Breaks My Heart

Displeased with the failures of others? You’re allowed to be. But please don’t take to social media and display your judgment and distaste as if you and I are any better. Everybody makes mistakes. That’s why Jesus died on the cross. 

When I read the Bible, the concept of love and grace is prevalent. But while I see these truths to be as clear as the moon in a cloudless night sky, I guess some see otherwise. Once again, I’m proud to be a Christian, but I cannot say I like the way all of them act. I would be the first to lay down my life for The One who laid down his, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be honest about my frustration toward some of Jesus’ personal advocates. It breaks my heart. It should break yours too. 

“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” —Mark 12:31

The image of love-bearing is something we cannot ignore as a followers of Jesus. And regardless of how one may want to justify their ill-thought words and actions, by Bible is pretty clear on the idea of loving. In fact, depending on what version of the Bible you prefer, the word “love” can be found anywhere between 250-550 times. That’s impressive. An let’s not forget the declaration to love our enemies found in Luke 6:35

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” —Luke 6:35

Our job as followers of Jesus is to reflect an image of love—the same love that Jesus showcased on a splintered plank of wood known as the cross. I’m not ignorant enough to believe that Christians should be loved by all people—the Bible tells us this won’t be the case if we are truly living out our God-given calling. 

Without love we are meaningless. Without love we are without Jesus. We must understand that The Gospel without love isn’t truly The Gospel at all. Jesus himself is the image we must seek to reflect, and our mission is to love because he first loved us.

We as Christians must learn to exude a consequential image of God’s love through every facet of our lives. It has the power to change the world.