Stop Acting Like Christians

Lately, it seems as though I come across more and more people acting like Christians . . . you know, claiming to confront with ‘Christian Love’, pointing out their ‘humble’ attitude, articulating their interpretation of scripture as the ‘correct’ view point. Of course, whenever the ubiquitous prefix “Brother so-and-so” is used, you know they’ve gone into full-blown “Christianese”.

The problem is that these conversations are filled with vitriol, bitterness, and adversarial tones. Well, ‘conversation’ is a term used loosely, as this type of dialogue usually occurs on blogs and websites. I doubt any of these Godly people would ever have an actual conversation of the type I have observed – vindictive in nature, hateful in tone, and generally mean-spirited.

All in the name of Christ . . .

All claiming to be ‘brothers and sisters’ in Christ . . .

All confident that their ‘position’ is the correct one.

I wish they’d stop acting like Christians.

I’ve seen arguments between people who make no claims of Christianity that are more civil than these ‘conversations’. Honestly, I’ve seen more civil behavior between politicians on the opposite extremes of the ideological aisle. You know what? I’ve seen out-and-out sinful ex-spouses get along better than these guys!

I wish they’d stop acting like Christians.

Sometimes, this dialogue begins as a satirical view of a situation. Often, the debates are passionate with legitimate stances on both sides on an issue. It’s amazing how quickly the exchanges deteriorate into overly aggressive, winner-take-all battles. All in the name of Christ . . .

I wish they’d stop acting like Christians.

The amazing thing? These usually are Christians. Often, they are very seasoned Christians. Some of the people involved are pastors . . . shepherds of the church, responsible for ministering His people and teaching His word.

I wish they’d stop acting like Christians . . .

And start behaving like Christians.

For more information on behaving in a manner that honors Jesus Christ, see the Bible, otherwise known as the Word of God – it’s self explanatory.