When God calls someone to the life of being a Christian, it is a calling to what is meant to be the most joy-filled and positive experience that any person can EVER know this side of eternity. Our sins are forgiven, our hope is in Christ, and our eternity in heaven is secured. And as a result, as Christians, we ought to be the most positive and happy people in the world!
So why is there so much “negative Christianity” in our world today? When I speak of negative Christianity, I’m referring to many Christians who are simply more negative than they are positive. They are negative in their view of life, their view of all other Christians who differ from them, and often even in their view of the Bible as primarily a rule list of “thou shalt nots”.
I don’t know about you, but as a parent, I don’t want to raise my children to buy into the lie of negative Christianity. It is my desire that they would be joy-filled, spirit-led, gospel-driven world-changers who aren’t afraid to think outside the box, break the mold, and do anything and everything that God calls them to do with their lives.
Think about this… “Our world 20 years from now will be what we have raised our children to be today.” Wow. That’s a powerful thought!
And what do we want that world to look like? What do we want our future families and churches to look like? I for one, want them to be the most positive forces in the world for good.
Here are some differences between positive and negative Christianity that can help us to avoid the one and encourage the other:
1) Positive Christianity has its primary focus on following Christ and being led by His Spirit. Negative Christianity has its primary focus on following a rule list of dos and don’ts in order to be a good Christian.
2) Positive Christianity rejoices with them that do rejoice, and weeps with them that weep because if they are a brother in Christ, they are worth rejoicing over, even if I disagree with them. Negative Christianity rejoices with them that are just like them, and criticizes those who aren’t, even when God is clearly blessing what they are doing.
3) Positive Christianity focuses more on the heart and less on appearance (although both are important). Negative Christianity often focuses more on appearance while neglecting more important matters of the heart.
4) Positive Christianity cares more about making God look good to a watching world. Negative Christianity often cares more about making themselves look good and the world look bad.
5) Positive Christianity strives to be known more for what God is for. Negative Christianity strives to be known more for what God is against.
6) Positive Christianity focuses on the positive message of unsaved people hearing and receiving the Gospel’s power in order to change their sinful lives. Negative Christianity focuses on the negative message of people changing their sinful lives in order to experience the Gospel’s power.
7) Positive Christianity sees the church as a hospital for sinners. Negative Christianity sees the church as a showcase for saints.
8) Positive Christianity’s focus is on God’s grace. Negative Christianity’s focus is on man’s goodness.
9) Positive Christianity finds more fulfillment in what God has done for me. Negative Christianity finds more fulfillment in what I have done for God.
10) Positive Christianity lives in the full understanding of the freedom we have been given in Christ – that all my sins, past, present, and future, have been forgiven, and God sees me as perfectly righteous because of Christ. Negative Christianity lives with the constant guilt and shame that I will never measure up or be good enough, no matter how hard I try.
In short – Positive Christianity is a POSITIVE thing, and the world can see it! Negative Christianity is a negative thing, and sadly, the world sees that too. There is nothing more positive that this dark, negative world needs more than what CHRISTianity has to offer. And if the world can’t see that through us, maybe it’s time for us to evaluate why. Because even though we may be right in what we believe, if we are not right in the way we present it to the world, they may very well miss the Gospel.
Time is too short, and souls are too precious, for me to focus my families’ time and attention on negative Christianity. We have the most powerful message and cure that the world will ever know or experience, and it’s our job to get it to them before it’s too late.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
My prayer for my children is that they would understand and see firsthand in my life that being a Christian is the greatest and most positive life that they could ever live. I want them to have every reason to share with the world the glorious life-changing message of the Gospel, and every reason for the world to WANT what they have because they see it for what it truly is – the best thing that could EVER happen to anyone!
So, which type of Christianity best describes you and your family… and how could you increase your emphasis on positive Christianity?
