People Who Label Themselves Christians

We live in a nation of labels here in the United States. Depending on how much you weigh, you might have the label of overweight or underweight. Depending on where you live, you might have the title of country girl or city boy. Depending on your political views, you might have the label of conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat. We are a nation of labels.

But, there is one other label I haven't mentioned yet. It is that of Christian. According to several popular websites, statistics say that over 75% of Americans consider themselves Christians. But, how do they get this label for themselves?

I venture to guess that far too many people would answer "Christian" on a survey solely based on the fact that their parents dragged them to church as a child. Then there are some that visit church during holidays, so they check it off. It is not wrong for them to identify themselves in this way, but how much of this faith do they really believe?

In the book of James, we are not only told to be "slow to speak, and slow to get angry," but to be careful of what we say. However, I have seen time and time again those who claim to be Christians in loud, angry arguments saying things that they say that they have regretted. I have seen that just as much as I've heard these people, who claim Christianity, talk about how they got so drunk over the weekend at a party, even though throughout the Bible it speaks against getting drunk.

Well, does this mean Christians are supposed to be perfect? No, not at all. I know that we all do wrong and I don't expect to find a perfect person. Furthermore, I know we all have addictions and problems in our lives that we cannot overcome in just a day. But, shouldn't there be some distinction between those who believe in Christ and those who don't? I think so. I think if we are going to claim Christianity, we should really believe and act upon it. Don't just use it as a label because you are used to it or it is expected of you.

So as for those that mark Christian on their surveys and don't strongly adhere to the faith, I hope that one day, you will see how real God is and that He takes a bigger role in your life. Until then, I feel I must agree with Brennan Manning when he said, "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."