My friend woke up with a splitting headache, so his mom (who’s a doctor), told him to take three ibuprofen. My friend did not take the medicine and his headache worsened. So, I knew right then and there that ibuprofen is ineffective for taking away the pain of headaches.

 

Another friend drove a car that kept overheating, so he took it to a mechanic who diagnosed the problem as a broken water pump that needed replacing. My friend did not replace the pump and his vehicle continued to overheat until his engine was damaged and he could no longer drive. So, I knew right then and there that water pumps do not prevent automobiles from overheating.

 

I know man who’s a Christian and he once had a lustful thought about a woman who was not his wife. He also joked around with his fellow employees for about 20 minutes when he was supposed to be working. He earns $36.00 per hour, so he essentially stole $12.00 from his company by failing to do his job for one-third of an hour. In addition, he’s dealt with multiple, ongoing struggles when it comes to loving and forgiving other people. So, I knew right then and there that Christianity is false and it doesn’t work in our lives.

 

If you haven’t guessed already, I’m sharing hypothetical scenarios that illustrate something I see all too often: judging the Christian faith based on the failures of those who follow Jesus, rather than on Jesus Himself. If a Christian does something that God says not to do (or if he avoids something that God says he should do), that does not mean that God is false. What it does mean is that the person messed up and failed to follow God completely.

 

Having said that, for those of us who follow Jesus, this does not mean that the way we live in this world is not critical; it is. I know too many people who have struggled with their faith, and even lost it entirely, because of the way Christians have acted. I always remember the song, “What if I Stumble?” released by DC Talk more than 25 years ago. The lyrics sum up the issue quite well:

 

 

The song takes seriously the high calling of representing Jesus on this earth, as it repeatedly asks the questions: “What if I stumble? What if I fall? What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?”

 

As the old saying goes, “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.” This can be a good thing or a bad thing. We can live in a way that doesn’t make sense unless God exists, and thereby shine our lights in this dark world and lead other people to the God we serve. That’s a good thing. We can also live in a way that demonstrates our lack of faith in what we claim to believe. That’s a bad thing and it’s caused too many people to want nothing to do with Christianity.

 

Take the ibuprofen. Replace the broken water pump. Do what God says and avoid what He says to avoid. Live like you actually believe what you say you believe. It means everything for yourself and for the world that’s watching.

 

Troy Burns