Have You Been Hurt by a Christian?
Please don’t let the hurtful actions of someone who calls themselves a Christian impact how you feel towards Jesus Christ.
One of the biggest obstacles for someone coming to put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior may be how they are treated by Christians. This can be true of people who have grown up in the church and people who lived in a secular environment or grew up practicing a different religion. I have seen this over and over again, both in my own family and with others. In the church it is so prevalent, we even have a name for it: CHURT HURT.
The problem we all have is that we are sinners. Each and every one of us. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And even if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we struggle with our flesh. We say unkind things. We have ugly thoughts towards other people. We may even act self-righteously (that we are better than everyone else) because we are Christians, which none of us deserves to do. Our righteousness is not from our own efforts, but from our Lord Jesus.
So, here’s the thing that is so important to know. Every time a Christian says mean, hurtful things, Jesus is as horrified as you are. Your pain from being treated without love or compassion is also painful to Him. He calls us to love each other, not to hurt each other.
If you are enmeshed in a sinful behavior (and struggling with its temptation as you seek to stop or you may not even know it is wrong to do), it may be tempting for a Christian to point that out to you and to make you feel judged by them. As Christians, we live in a tension: God cannot abide sin (it separates us from Him) and we know that we are also called to love others the same way Jesus loves us—right where we are at. We also know that it is not our place to judge others, that is God’s rightful domain.
But we are called to hold each other accountable, so that we can help each other live lives pleasing to God. Sometimes we achieve this in a loving way, other times, not so much. Sometimes, either out of overzealousness or a false sense of self-righteousness, a Christian can push a person away from Jesus instead of toward Him. And that is absolutely NOT what we should do. Please don’t judge Jesus by the faulty actions of Christians. If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need Him.
Salvation is an incredible gift. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us, shedding His own blood and dying on a cross to atone for our sins. When we accept Jesus as both our Lord and our Savior, we enter into relationship with Him and gain eternal life. But in doing so, we must acknowledge our sin and repent (turn away) from it.
Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean we won’t still struggle. But it does mean that we are now on a wondrous journey. We begin the process of sanctification, where we become more Christ-like. But we are all in different places on that journey. Those Christians who act mean and ugly towards others are not as far along. It is the reality of living in a broken world.
We have a saying, “The saints (those of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and know our eternal destiny is heaven) are just the sinners who fall down and get back up.” Sadly, even though we are Christians, we get it wrong a lot. Thank God, Jesus never does! I pray you’ll put your hope in Him, and don’t let imperfect people lead you away from doing so. Jesus loves us so much that He left the glories of heaven to make a way for us. He loves you and doesn’t want heaven to be without you—and neither do I!
My brother Eddie inspired me to write this article today. He went to be in his heavenly home this past March, after courageously battling pancreatic cancer. He had a firm faith in Jesus and lived his life as a witness of Christ’s love. Eddie also had a strong desire for everyone to know Jesus. How comforting it is to know we will be reunited in heaven one day, and my brother and I want everyone to have that comfort!
Our own mother struggled because she was Jewish and Christians could be very cruel to her. She was treated badly and even fired once when her faith was made known. I had the incredible joy of sharing with her what I have shared with you today—Jesus cried with her when she was treated so badly. That was her biggest obstacle to coming to faith in Christ and I am so grateful she accepted Jesus as her Messiah that evening. I look forward to seeing her in heaven one day!
So, please don’t reject Jesus because of the bad behavior of some of His followers. They are falling down. Rather, reach out to the One that loves you beyond measure. It doesn’t matter how far you have strayed or if you are meeting Him for the first time.
Jesus is waiting for you with open arms!
You can jump to another article I wrote to learn more about what Jesus did for us and how you can receive His gracious and loving gift of eternal life:
If you would like to know more about who Jesus is, I have also written a devotional that will help you learn more about Him. It is often read beginning on December 1st as a way for us to begin preparing our hearts for Christmas, but it can be read at any time of year. While it is for sale on Amazon, I would like to gift you a copy to help you on your journey in seeking Jesus. I pray you find Him in its pages.
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT HERE FOR FREE:
Taking Back Advent Evaluation Copy
I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive those who have hurt you and if you don’t know Jesus, you’ll begin your own journey of learning about Him. Heaven wouldn’t be the same without you!
