Missing the Point

My heart has been heavy lately. So many of my friends that I love and hold dear to my heart have missed the point of what Christianity is all about. Even today, while reading several blogs, many people are just missing the point.

Many of my friends that I am referring to have the wrong approach to Christianity, but I think it's because of how the church sometimes approaches how we are to live our life as Christians. I often hear all of the things that we as Christians we should not do. For example: Don't get drunk! Don't have sex before you're married! Don't use foul language! Don't talk back to your parents! Don't do drugs! Don't do anything that would dishonor your parents! Don't lie! Don't steal! Don't do anything that would bring harm to your body! Don't hang out with non-Christians! Don't listen to secular music! Don't forget to read the bible every day! Don't miss church! I think you all get the idea. Well, with this approach it makes being a Christian seem like a constant out reach thing to do because you're hearing all of the things you can't do "if you truly want to be a Christian." This is what causes people to walk on the fence. They try to see how much they can get away with, how close they can come to the other side with still being "Christian." This makes it easy to fall away from Christ because soon people do anything and then rationalize it by saying, "God will still love me. God will forgive me." They use this logic, while falling farther and farther away from Christ, so far that by the time they realize it, they are so angry at the rules that were "placed" on them that they don't want anything to do with Christianity because they've missed the point.

In my opinion, as trite as it might be, the church ought to be teaching what we SHOULD be doing, not what we shouldn't. It's so much more appealing. For example: Love God! Help each other! Love each other! Strive to put others before yourself! Help the homeless! Love little children! Now doesn't that sound more appealing?

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not meaning we should be selling Christianity by any means. I am just simply saying that by giving a list of things we can't do MISSES THE POINT of what Christianity is all about. I mean Christ came out of love, to offer love, and then to give love as the final sacrifice. Christianity is about love and being love to others.

Instead of passing judgment on those who have trouble with all of the rules, let's love on them and help them FEEL the presence of God once again or maybe for the first time. Let's not miss the point anymore.