5 Lies I Used To Believe About Being A Christian
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Growing up in church, I thought I
had just about everything figured out about being a Christian.
That all changed for me one day
when I visited a church that was much different than the straight-laced church
I grew up in. It was a place where people dressed and acted the same on Sunday
as they did the rest of the week. It was a place where it was OK to be honest
and open about doubts and struggles. There was even an atmosphere of excitement
and celebration that was expressed during worship.
All of this was very new to me.
There was such of contrast in this group of believers that I had to question
much of what I believed about being a Christian. What I discovered is that some
of my “Christian beliefs” were actually misguided and inspired more by worldly
religion than the Word of God.
It’s obvious that non-Christians
have some misconceptions regarding Christianity, but often those who grew up in
church, do too. Here are just a few of the lies I used to believed about being
a Christian:
1. Your Behavior Affects God’s Love For You.
With all the rules we set up for
ourselves, it’s easy to think following them is the way to get God’s approval
and love. But the truth is you don’t have to try to use your behavior
to earn God’s love. He loves you despite your behavior.
Christ died for us while we were
still sinners (Romans 5:8). God’s love for you isn’t based on what you do or
don’t do, it’s based on His Son Jesus.
2. Church is a Weekly Event and Just a Building.
Living in the Bible Belt, going to
church can sometimes be seen as just something that everyone does. Worshipping
God is often compartmentalized and sectioned off from the rest of our week.
There is this idea that every Sunday you have to dress up and polish your
external appearance and behavior.
But God is interested in
your heart, not your outfit. He looks at the internal of man, not the
external (1 Samuel 16:7).
Church is also frequently viewed as
building and not a body. In reality, we should see the Church as a Body
that just so happens to meet in a building. The Bible talks about the
Church as a living and breathing thing, not just a meeting that takes place
each week with some singing and preaching (Ephesians 2:19-22). We weren’t meant
to love an event, we were meant to love people.
3. You Shouldn’t Express Your Struggles or Doubts.
Sometimes the Christian life is
hard. At times, there are no easy answers or explanations. Instead of
suppressing our doubts and struggles, we should admit them to God and ask
others to help us walk through them.
David was a man after God’s own
heart, and he often openly expressed his doubts and struggles during times of
hardship. Being honest and open about your struggles doesn’t make you less
spiritual, it actually draws you closer to God because it forces you to get rid
of your pride and self-sufficiency.
You don’t overcome the difficulties
of life by ignoring the struggle; you overcome them by inviting God to work in
those areas (Psalm 43:5)! What good is it if you have everyone fooled except
for God?
4. Church Leadership is Only For the Super-Spiritual.
Sometimes, those of us sitting in
church pews each week can start thinking of our pastors and elders as
spiritually superior, “better” Christians and almost infallible. This is part
of why we are so surprised and shattered when church leaders fall—we forget
that they are sinful human beings, just as in need of grace and accountability
as the rest of us.
The truth is, your pastor, worship
leader, small group leader or whoever else may have more training and/or have
walked with Jesus longer than you have, but they are still people. They
struggle. They need friends that talk about things that don’t directly relate
to church.
God uses the weak for His glory. And
He can use you. You don’t have to work yourself up to be some sort of spiritual
superman in order to serve Him.
5. The Bible is Mostly About Rules.
We often make the Bible out to be a
rulebook. But when we view it that way, we will lose interest quickly because
there is no connection made.
The Bible isn’t about
rules; it’s about Jesus. It’s designed to be used in the context of
relationship. The goal in reading the Word shouldn’t be to get to a certain
chapter, but to meet Jesus along the way.
I challenge you to ask yourself if
you believe any of those ideas. You’re not alone if you do. The good news is
there is hope, because there is truth. And the truth has the power to set you
free (John 8:32)
Tyler
is a husband, dad, serious coffee drinker, and inspirational blogger with a
passion to help others see Jesus as He truly is - a personal and relational
God. Read more at TylerSpeegle.com
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