We hear the phrase “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and, as Christians, we should strive to embody His compassion, but sometimes we fall short of that standard. In this article, we will look at what can cause us, as followers of Jesus, to be bad at being kind, so we can understand how to improve.
Self-Righteousness
One of the main pitfalls for Christians that hinders us from displaying kindness is our tendency toward self-righteousness. When we mistakenly think of ourselves as superior or more righteous than others, we may appear to be kind but without genuine compassion. We may do acts of charity with an expectation of praise or reward. This has nothing to do with God's love, which is a genuine, selfless gift. Self-righteousness can act as a barrier that keeps the real love of Christ from impacting our interactions with others.
Focus on Doctrine Over Relationships
A well-known Christian author, Os Guinness, once wrote, “Dogs have theology; humans need the Gospel.” He made this statement to emphasize that Christian doctrine is vital, but so is relating to people in a way that shows we care about them as individuals. Concentrating solely on the dissemination of facts can leave our hearts cold and unfeeling. When the Gospel’s focus shifts from loving others to a zeal to be right, we are no longer following Jesus’ example.
The biblical example of the Pharisees serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of misplaced priorities. Although the Pharisees were technically accurate in their understanding of the Jewish Law, their hearts were far from God. They lacked love and compassion, not only missing the mark, but also creating a bad image of what being religious should look like. The same can happen to Christians if we forget that faith involves a relationship with a living, compassionate God and a call to express His love through our actions.
Lack of Grace for Ourselves and Others
The world should see Christians as beacons of hope and people filled with the love of God, but sometimes we hold each other, and others, to unattainably perfect standards. Paul recognized his own imperfection in Romans 7, and we should too. When we don’t grant ourselves grace to fail, it affects how we interact with others. If we approach life with a heavy sense of personal responsibility, never allowing for mistakes or human weakness, we rob ourselves and others of the opportunity to grow and learn from missteps. Jesus came to Earth to be our example of a life lived fully, embracing grace for failures and leading with the love of the Father.
Fear and Anxiety
Fear and anxiety are powerful tools the enemy uses to sideline compassion and stall the forward movement of God's Kingdom purposes on Earth. When our thoughts become dominated by fear and anxiety, we become more concerned for our own well-being and safety than for the needs of others. Fear can lead to an insular, self-protective mentality, lacking a concern for the broader community. Fear causes us to withdraw, turning in on ourselves or holding tightly to what we have rather than embracing the giving life exemplified by our Savior. To reflect God's love, we must seek to replace fear and anxiety with trust in His provision and promises.
Misunderstanding and Misquoting the Call to Holiness
While we are called to live a life set apart for Christ, commonly referred to as “holiness,” this can be misunderstood, causing us to misrepresent God's love. The enemy loves to divert us from God's will, leading some to believe holiness is best demonstrated by avoiding certain groups of people or engaging in moralistic judgment. A Biblical concept, called the "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:16-21), calls us to walk in love and unity with all mankind, regardless of our differences. It's easy for well-meaning Christians to erroneously use love as a weapon, drawing lines of division instead of an open invitation to relationship and spiritual growth. The aim of holiness is to become more like Christ, demonstrating His love in every situation, not excluding others based on our personal preferences or prejudices.
Conclusion
As believers, we are continuallyon a journey to better reflect God's love. While it is easy to point to these issues as external dangers, the primary struggle often arises from our own hearts. It's vital, in our pursuit of holiness, to remain aware of these pitfalls and continuously bring our hearts before the Lord in prayer and repentance. Through honest reflection, we can grow in love and authenticity, more closely resembling the heart of our compassionate Savior.