there's a reason people don't like Christians

{photo credit}

‎

I saw this sign on my Facebook home page.  It's being shared like crazy all over.  At first I thought, "haha!  SO funny!  What a PERFECT idea!"  And then I read a particular comment posted below this picture:

":-( It's so sad. We need to really keep them in prayer today. Years ago when my own end-times beliefs came crashing down around me, I was very lost for a very long time. Hopefully these people haven't built large portions of their theology on prophetic interpretation as I did :-( . . ."

I was immediately convicted by the Holy Spirit.  I could sense great shame in my own heart:  How could I be so incredibly judgmental?  It's probably true that they are lost, sad and confused.  Jesus loves those people.  He died for them!  What is my problem?

As funny as this billboard might seem...the "arrogance" involved is no different between the two "groups".  It's an "us vs. them" mentality. Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges.  For in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge practice the very same things.  Romans 2:1

Did you ever think that God allowed this as an opportunity for us to share the truth of the gospel {in love} with the people around us?  The people around us who are confused, misguided, and scared as a result of this recent false claim?

You can be sure that Satan will use this opportunity.  Although, he will use it to discourage, manipulate, and mislead those who are not grounded in the truth of God's Word.  John Piper says this in his book titled When I Don't Desire God:  A Fight for Joy,  "...Satan desperately wants to hide from the eyes of our hearts - a spiritual sight of Christ's glory in the gospel."

By flaunting and boasting the truth of the gospel, we loose our own "spiritual sight of Christ's glory."  Speaking truth, in of itself, is not bad.  In fact, we are commanded to speak truth.  But do we have a right to be prideful in that truth?   God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  James 4:6

How are we really helping anyone by flaunting what we know is true?  "...in our efforts to point out sin, we often fail to do anything for the people who are affected by sin."  -David Kinnaman, in his book titled, unChristian:  What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why it Matters.

We are not called to JUDGE but to LOVE.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  I John 4:11

"...being judgmental is one of those areas of the Christian life in which it is very easy to make mistakes.  A definition will help us here.  To be judgmental is to point out something that is wrong in someone else's life, making that person feel put down, excluded, and marginalized.  Some part of their potential to be Christ followers snuffed out.  Being judgmental is fueled by self-righteousness, the misguided inner motivation to make our own life look better by comparing it to the lives of others."  -David Kinnaman

Mr. Kinnaman also says in his book, "...how we communicate is as important as what we communicate."

Maybe that billboard up there wasn't the best idea.
Maybe it's wasn't so funny.
Maybe it's not really all that perfect.
And maybe, instead of making fun of them in public, we should hit our knees and pray for them.