3. Perfect church attendance.
I’m still healing from years of unhealthy exposure to this particular one of our false Christian values. Faithful Christians didn’t miss worship. Ever. They never missed small group. They didn’t miss any church function. Period.
Gathering with Christians matters, of course. But it’s very possible to have perfect church attendance and know very little about God. Much like perfect school attendance doesn’t guarantee good grades.
RELATED: Startling Data on Church Attendance
God is much more concerned with the condition of your heart than the location of your butt.
4. Following the rules.
I grew up equating rule-following with Christ-following. Good Christians didn’t break rules. They didn’t miss curfew, cheat on tests or drink alcohol. Oh, and they didn’t curse or have tattoos.
A perfect driving record doesn’t qualify you as a Christian any more than an alcohol addiction disqualifies you.
Besides, some rules need to be broken. They’re faulty and oppressive. Rather than equating righteousness with rule-following, let’s equate righteousness with Jesus.
5. Never doubting or questioning God.
Growing up, doubting God or questioning the Bible was disrespectful at best, and blasphemous at worst.
Because of this, my faith journey was framed by an unhealthy picture of God. In my mind, God was this divine being with an enormous limb (probably one he picked from The Tree of Life). Positioned like a power hitter in baseball, He waited for someone to question him so he could smash you over the left-field wall.
Then, in college, doubt chiseled away at my faith. I wasn’t sure how to process the hard questions. I couldn’t talk to God. He was mad. I couldn’t talk to other Christians. They would tell me to pray harder.
Then I found a life-saving book. Psalms.
Psalms painted a different picture of God. Faithful men doubted and spoke “matter-of-factly” to God. He didn’t destroy them. He walked with them. He was patient and understanding.
I still question and doubt. The God of love allows space for this. He stays with me through it, and celebrates when I reach the other side.
If your God doesn’t allow room for doubt, He’s not worth serving.
Christians with doubts and questions aren’t lacking faith. In fact, I would say doubt is an unavoidable by-product of growing closer to an infinitely powerful and knowledgeable God.
RELATED: Doubt Has Its Limits
6. Knowledgeable about the Bible.
When I worked in youth ministry, I traveled a lot. Before loading the bus, everyone had an opportunity to pull the trigger on shotgun. But, to be honest, I only wanted one person to call it. Why? I had a Bible trivia app and no one else competed with me.
I could name every judge and pair people with weird, random facts. I knew the Bible.
But this isn’t surprising, right? Faithful Christians know their Bible.
Well…that depends.
The apostle Paul says knowledge puffs up but loves builds up. My Christian journey proves this verse true.
Knowledge alone is quite dangerous, actually.
I look back on my Bible trivia days. While I rarely lost, my reward for winning was a crown of pride.
Jesus flipped the model of righteousness and holy living. Faithful Christians might know their Bible. But if your Bible knowledge doesn’t compel you to serve your neighbor, you’re missing something. Great students are great servants.
7. Promptness
While we’re here, let’s include other members of the squad. Organized. Efficient. Go-getter. #squad
Granted, being on time can show concern and respect for the person you’re meeting.
But promptness isn’t a Christian virtue. If Jesus lived in modern-day America, I’m not sure he would appreciate our infatuation with “to-do lists” and punctuality. We’re talking about a guy who arrived late to scheduled appointments, and on one occasion, his “lateness” resulted in a man’s death, Lazarus. Beggars and tax collectors distracted Jesus. He changed plans without warning.
Promptness might be good practice in America, but it isn’t a Christian virtue.
I’ve heard passive-aggressive comments about being late for worship all my life. I’ve made them myself. While punctuality is good practice in America, it’s not a barometer for godliness or devotion to God.
8. Expressive and emotional
I’m an emotional guy. I cry often. Don’t judge me. I also lift my hands and move around when I worship.
Real Christians are expressive, I used to think. But spending time with Christians who aren’t expressive revealed something different, a deep love for Jesus. On the flip side, I’ve spent time with expressive, emotional Christians and found them to be bored and dry. Expressive, emotional behavior can reveal passion, but not necessarily.
Let’s be careful not to make our perspective on Christian values the only perspective. God is infinitely creative. So are His people.
