How [Not] to Be a Better Christian

I wish you knew how hard it was for me to write about grace. After years and years of being told how I needed to work harder to please God, it’s like learning to write with my left hand.

Every day, I need to remind myself what it means to live in God’s grace. I can feel the pull to moralize at every turn. I want to tell you to stop your sinning and be better for goodness sakes!

Act like an adult! Act like a man! Don’t be a skank! Why haven’t you been to church lately? Are you reading your bible? Early morning prayers are the best! Ten percent or you’re robbing God!

There. I feel better. What’s worse is, I’m not kidding—I kind of do. Because it feels good to be a moralistic blowhard. It feels good to point out your flaws so authoritatively. Kind of makes me feel superior and it actually makes my sins seem a little further away, a bit smaller.

Wow, that’s neurotic.

But, I get it. The guilt can be overwhelming.

But the truth is better than the sinful projecting of my guilt onto you to make me feel better. The truth is that Christianity isn’t Chuck E. Cheese. I don’t have to work really, really hard and earn enough tickets to claim a tiny bit of God’s love.

He already loves us.

As a matter of fact, if you belong to Him, you are like a tree planted next to clear, pure water. Any fruit you manage isn’t because you tried really hard or read the bible in a year. It’s because you stayed put, next to God. You trusted that he has given you all you need, and that he’s already pleased with you because of his Son.

Your job is to bask in his love, and let that love change you. 

Chad can be found at MisterPreacher. Like him on Facebook.