There's a song by Casting Crowns called "What This World Needs" that's really beautiful (honestly, I haven't found a Casting Crowns song I don't like), and this song has a bit of dialogue in it:
People aren't confused by the gospel,
they're confused by us.
Jesus is the only way to God,
but we are not the only way to Jesus.
This world doesn't need my tie, my hoodie, my denomination or my translation of the Bible,
They just need Jesus.
We can be passionate about what we believe,
But we shouldn't strap ourselves to the gospel because we're slowing it down.
Jesus is going to save the world,
but maybe the best thing we can do is just to get out of the way.
As Christians, we get lost in the "shoulds" of the Bible and lose the message for ourselves but also for those who don't believe. Jesus is the message. God's love, mercy, and grace are the message. Being "Christian" is not. What I wear, is not. The big fancy church words I use are not. Being in peoples' faces about what they are doing wrong or right is not.
Legalism is not the way to people's heart. It never has and it never will be. It's just not how Jesus rolled and it's not how He wants us to roll.
Talking the Bible talk is far less important than walking the Jesus walk. The hard part about this is that talking is so much easier than walking... because when walking you can trip. And tripping in front of those trying to prove you wrong or who are unwilling to allow you to trip can be rough. Jesus doesn't expect perfection and reminding ourselves of this when the world does might make our walk and all of its trips and falls a bit more enjoyable.
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