A Flawed Christian’s Take On This Challenge

I'm not going to call out any hateful preachers on here, as badmouthing someone is counterproductive to my goal of being a better Christian. This challenge has caught my eye though, so I will write about a few things that Christians need to consider to not only avoid turning people away from the faith, but to also help themselves in their own personal walks with Christ too.

Saying "Happy Holidays" is not an attack on Christmas. There are many other holidays that are being celebrated during December, including Kwanzaa currently. If someone wishes you a great holiday, correcting them by demanding "Merry Christmas" as a retort is not necessary - make them feel warm and snuggly inside by saying Happy Holidays back. I am confident that Jesus won't be offended by anyone saying Happy Holidays.

If you claim freedom of religion is under attack, this needs to apply to all religions, not just yours. And if you want prayers in school, they can not be exclusive to your religion only. This goes for marriage as well - passing legal guidelines that only suit your religion isn't ok.

Whether you agree with abortion or not, it needs to stop being treated as a black and white issue. Abortion has saved the lives of women with ectopic pregnancies, which would have caused the death of both mother and baby if the procedure wasn't performed. A better way to combat abortion is to be more supportive and helpful to those in the situation regardless of their choice, and making sure ample resources are available to single parents and families in poverty. And those that call themselves pro-life should be fully supporting these kinds of resources, and also supporting the adoption and/or foster parent system process.

Embracing the practice of serving is extremely important. Don't look at those that do undesirable work as beneath you, but be appreciative of what they do. And be ready to step in and do this kind of work too. Jesus Himself willingly volunteered to wash His disciples feet, which would not have been a pleasant job. The moment you think you're better than someone else is the moment you have ventured further away from being like Christ.

There are many more points that can be made, but one of the most important ones is this: it is ok to preach and tell people how Christ has enriched your life (it is my hope that I do this through my Bible Journals that I write on here). But as soon as you become mean spirited and treat those that disagree with you in a malicious way, not only are you being counterproductive to what Jesus sought to do, but you've pushed away people that may have potentially considered your faith at some point, and you've even missed the opportunity to make a new friend. We're all imperfect beings, and we need to be there for each other more than ever in these crazy times we live in....