Why Am I Such a Bad Christian?
Sunday Christians are content to be "bad Christians," and this gives them a pass to stop growing. Monday Christians strive to be "good Christians"– not based on their goodness, but based on living in close proximity to Christ so that his goodness shines through them to others.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this question, followed by some variation of “I should be farther along in my spiritual journey by now” or “I don’t know why I keep struggling with these same issues I should have dealt with years ago.”
Sometimes, these statements are innocent. But I’ve found that people who constantly talk this way generally fall into one of three categories. They have:
- Bought into a false form of legalism
- Developed a high view of themselves
- Embraced a casual view of sin
This first group of Christians lives in constant self-imposed torment. Maybe they grew up in a setting that said, "If you don't do _______, God won't be happy with you, and you won't go to Heaven." As a result, they always feel like they never measure up. If this is your story, I'm sorry. I genuinely am.
The second group genuinely loves Jesus, but they struggle with pride. They desperately don’t want to be seen as “holier than thou,” so they talk bad about themselves and almost pride themselves in their badness. They struggle with a self-imposed form of Tall Poppy Syndrome and feel the need to cut themselves down before others do. If this is you, maybe this Bob Newhart clip will encourage you.
The third group knows they have areas of sin in their life, but it’s not a big deal to them. When someone confronts them about ways they should change, they get a wry grin on their faces and say things like, “I just don’t take myself too seriously.” To them, a little gossip, a few bad habits, a little legalism, and the occasional secret sin are just part of life. They’ve never known any other way. Sure, they’ll talk about how they need to make a change, but they have no intention to do so. If this is your story, I'm glad you're part of this devotional.
Rather than make any changes, all three groups settle for being “bad Christians,” “saved sinners,” or “messy believers,” thinking this is as good as it will ever get.
All three extremes aren’t good. So what is the answer?
