Me Me Christianity

(Luke 6:36-38)

My Christianity is all about ME! It makes ME feel good. It makes ME a better person. I have heard of people not coming to church because ‘it isn’t exciting for ME’, or ‘I don’t like the music’, or ‘the preaching isn’t interesting to ME’, or ‘it doesn’t fit into MY schedule’. In the reading today it seems like Jesus is telling us to be selfish in our Christian walk: To do good only so that good may happen to us.

But maybe Jesus isn’t promoting selfish Christianity.

Maybe it is about freedom. Christ desires us to be free of human inclinations toward pride and selfishness, not relying on the flesh but the spirit of God that dwells within us. Let us not look for rewards from our Heavenly Father but seek to be as merciful as He is (which is beyond human knowledge and capability). So why try? Because the more merciful we are the more we get a sense of God’s immeasurable mercy and the more free we are to love others. The thing that generally stops us from loving as God loves is fear. Jesus relieves our fear of pursuing this way of life, and reveals the immensity of our Father’s love for us in his “reward system”. How often are we afraid to talk to someone for fear that they will judge us? Is it because we judge the people we talk to? How much harder is it for us to come to God and ask for his forgiveness when we can’t even forgive ourselves?

Imagine if you didn’t judge the person in church wearing raggedy clothing. Imagine if you didn’t judge the person all dressed up. Imagine if you actually thought your roommate wanted to know Jesus, and that any immoral actions they have committed stem from a yearning desire to know a God who is mercy and love. Imagine forgiving all those people who made fun of you throughout your life, understanding that God loves them all so much as well. Imagine if you helped out that person with their problem even if you didn’t want to, understanding how important their soul is to God. How much different would your life look? How much more peace would you have in your heart?

Let us not look in a selfish way at what we can get from Jesus; let us try to look purely on what we can do for the sake of God. The peace and mercy the lord gives us is not received through selfish means, but through an unselfish Godly love. Let us then walk this Christian walk for Jesus and not for ourselves.

-Justin Tomko