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Jesus Doesn’t Change Your Life
At least not how you probably think.
Becoming a Christian is overrated.
I say that because many well-meaning Christians overpromise and under-deliver. It’s overrated because there’s too much emphasis on a single conversion experience, rather than living a life of faith.
Pastors and churches often paint an unrealistic picture of what it means to become a Christian. Saying a prayer and “accepting Jesus into your heart” will instantly change your life, they say. It may not be in those exact words, but while trying to “sell” Christianity, some pastors end up selling the “good life.” This creates problems.
First, the idea that Jesus will fix all your problems falls apart when your problems don’t — well — go away after you become a Christian. Second, it reduces a robust faith down to a few rules for living. I’ve seen many new Christians become bewildered when they don’t get the life the pastor promised them.
Don’t get me wrong. Following Jesus can change your life, but not in the way it often gets promoted.
Most ‘conversions’ are not real
One of the central parts of the modern Evangelical church is the conversion experience. It goes something like this.
- A non-Christian…
