A Better Christian...Or Not

Lately I’ve been pondering. This could be dangerous because when I ponder, I begin to think differently than others, and some people struggle with those of us who think differently than them. I am going to step out on faith and leap and admit my thoughts. I would like to know what makes one Christian better or deeper than another Christian. Is it their knowledge? Is it the way they worship? Is it their obedience to the Ten Commandments? Is it their church attendance? Is it their acts of service? I wonder because I’ve only been told that a Christian is better or deeper than another Christian to insult one Christian or a church.

As I was editing and revising my book for those who need to overcome the hurt from the church, I realized that many people hurt others with their subtle statements that reveal arrogance and superior righteousness, which does not make anyone better, deeper, or even a mature Christian.  The life of a Christian is a journey. A journey is not a ladder that you climb and reach the top and sometimes you slip and fall all the way to the bottom, and then climb back up when you do the right things. A journey is a life that has twists, turns, straight lines, hills, and valleys. A Christian’s journey is to walk with Jesus and toward Him. In the last few years, I have realized that at any given time, someone may be at a different part on the journey. That person may appear better, but in reality, he or she is just in a place that the journey may have a way to use faith that can only be used by those who are mature in Christ, which never appears as “better” or “deeper.” It’s usually full of persecutions, failures, and heartaches.

I do believe that there is maturity in Christ. Paul says that it is time to eat meat and not just drink milk. “For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of flesh, as babies in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NIV) Maturity is not revealed in terms of “better” or “deeper”. It’s a faith that is needed in times of trials. For people who claim to be “better” Christians, I believe that they miss a prominent portion of that verse. “Since they are still worldly,” Paul then gives the definition of being worldly, “envy and strife among Christians.” Envy and strife. Those two attributes reside in many Christians.

With envy, Christians will insult another Christian in order to keep that person from moving forward with their gifts or talents. With strife, Christians argue (Where should I begin?) with those who think or believe differently than them on political, spiritual, worshipful, artful, emotional, and intellectual issues. Actually, the list is much longer.

Strife. It’s what is breaking the church today. Are we being “better” when we tear others down who worship differently than us? Are we being “better” when we refuse to listen? Are we being “better” when we sit back and do nothing and the signs are all around us that the world needs the love of Jesus?  I believe we are doing much worse and it’s time to make a change.

I keep seeing Christians sharing memes that tear down and judge other churches or Christians. The meme starts with the idea that those who do not worship like them or preach like them or sing like them or serve like them, or whatever you want to add, are not true Christians or worshippers. It makes me wonder. Is God not powerful enough to be able to be worshipped in various means? Can God handle old hymns with pianos and organs, as well as loud music with new praise songs? I believe that God, who created the universe and knows every single person on earth by name, can do that. I know that there are some Christians who are mature in their faith, but does that make them better than those who are not there yet? Why do we compare? The answer lies within a heart problem.

Our hearts are defected. We lack loving others because we struggle with the idea that God loves us, with our flaws and sins. God doesn’t just love us without our imperfections. God loves us in spite of our imperfections. Since God loves us in spite of our imperfections, we can begin to love others in spite of their imperfections. God never stops loving us.

Although knowledge of who God is and what the Bible means can help us in our faith, it does not make us deeper or better. It can make us arrogant. I know because I’ve been arrogant with my knowledge and at those times I was not better, deeper or mature. I was just a mean person who was not behaving like Jesus. Jesus walked on earth with the most knowledge and chose disciples that couldn’t even figure out that if Jesus could feed 5,000 people with a two fish and five loaves of bread, that he could also feed 4,000 people with lack of supplies of food. In fact, the disciples had many problems with numbers and fish when Jesus was around them. Jesus did not choose them because they had more knowledge or were deeper. He chose them because they were faithful. They had faith in Jesus, even when they did not understand.

Ironically, the disciples also argued over which of them was the greatest. Jesus had to remind them that servants and children were greater than them because of their faith. I believe most of us need to remember that, especially if we are calling someone a “better” or “deeper” Christian.

Our society needs Christians to love on them with the love of Jesus. We are at a crucial time in our society. I’ve seen it before because history repeats itself when the people refuse to learn from the past. We need to show love to our fellow believers in Christ, and especially on social media. The world is watching. Are we going to be better? Deeper? Greatest? Or are we going to be faithful.