In Your Face

By Courtney Rogers 

Have you ever met someone who was completely in your face about something?  Maybe it was a car dealer who just wanted you to buy a car from him.  What did he do?  He tried everything he could possibly do to make you want to buy a car.  Isn't it a complete turn off sometimes?  You walk away agitated and not wanting anything to do with that dealer or what he is selling.

Christians tend to do that sometimes as well.  We come across like we have all the answers and try to shove what we believe down other people's throats.  All this does is simply turn people off to us and what we are "selling".  They leave feeling frustrated and ultimately want nothing to do with church or Christ if that is what being a Christian is all about.  Where in the Bible has Jesus ever promoted this way of witnessing?  The Pharisees tried to spread God's news this way and Jesus made it clear that it was not an effective way to witness.  When people stand in the streets screaming about how everyone is going to Hell so they better get saved, and it turns people off.  Christians don't realize how condemning they come across sometimes.  My heart truly goes out to anyone who has ever been offended by a Christ follower who has come across as judging them.  If you are someone who thinks that Christianity and Christ is nothing more then a bunch of rules to follow, I am truly sorry.  Rob Bell once said "A lot of people confuse religion with God and Walk away from the both.  The point isn’t Christianity.  The point is being a Christian.  It means being a follower of Jesus." Christianity is not a religion based on rules, it's a relationship.

If you are the one who has felt bombarded with Christianity know this, God sent His son to die for you so you could live eternally with Him.  We are sinful people, all of us.  We were created to bring glory to Him and to have a personal relationship with Him.  That's it.  It's that simple.  There is no rule book that you have to live by.  Come as you are.  So what if you have a past?  If Christ can forgive thieves and murders, He can forgive you.  There is no sin too big that He won't forgive and forget.  All He wants is a relationship with you.  That is it.  * "Jesus Call Them Son of Hell" by Rob Bell http://www.youversion.com/contributions/42223/jesus-call-them-son-of-hell