Christians are not perfect. While we get a lot of things right, there are still quite a few things we get wrong.
Some of these are detrimental to our personal walk with Jesus and our testimony to the world.
For this reason, here is a list of 8 things every Christian needs to stop doing now.
1. Stop Neglecting Your Personal Relationship with the Lord
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” --Mark 1:35
The main reason God saved you is because he wants to have a personal relationship with you. Yet sometimes we treat spending time with God as an obligation and not a privilege.
Do you really understand what it means that you can spend time in God’s presence? This is the same God who spoke and the world came into existence and he wants to be in relationship with you. We need to stop neglecting this time.
When Jesus walked the earth, everyone wanted his time and attention, yet he intentionally got away from people so he could pray. Not only did this maintain his relationship with his Father, but it was his source of strength to face all the challenges of the day.
I know there is a lot going on in your life, but make sure you find time to spend with the Lord. You will be better for it in more ways than you realize.
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2. Stop Feeding Your Mind Trash
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” --Philippians 4:8
There is an old computer adage that says Garbage In Garbage Out (GIGO). We must be careful of everything we allow our minds to feed on.
You may not realize it, but those things you allow in, are shaping your thoughts. In the long run, these things will end up influencing your behavior. If you find your emotions out of kilter or you don’t like the way you are responding to those around you, then it may result from what you are feeding your mind.
It could mean it is time to turn the channel or find another video to watch. Don’t think what you watch and feed your mind has no effect because it absolutely does.
3. Stop Trying to Be Like the World
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” --1 John 2:15-16
For those who say they follow Christ, it needs to be seen in how you live. It seems like so many Christians are trying to live as close to the world as possible. Sometimes, they are even replicating what the world is doing.
My question is why? God has saved you out of the world. Why are you fighting so hard to be consumed by it again?
The heart of being a Christian is not to look like the world, but to reflect Christ. If you think acting like the world is going to win them to Christ, that is a sad deception. What will draw people to Christ is when they see his character reflected in your life.
Don’t be like the world, be like Jesus.
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4. Stop Holding on to Grudges, Bitterness, and Unforgiveness
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” --Ephesians 4:32
Hey Christians, can we please stop being so angry and bitter? That is not a good look, nor does it represent Christ well on the earth.
Aside from that, when you hold on to anger, you give the devil a foothold in your life, and when you harbor unforgiveness, you are living in sin.
I always find it interesting how we can hold on to unforgiveness because someone has sinned against us. What we fail to recognize is when we do, we are sinning against God. Oh, the irony of that.
It is true things are not perfect in this world and people will hurt you. I can assure you holding grudges, bitterness, and unforgiveness will not solve the problem. It will only make it worse.
5. Stop Being Consumed with Getting More Stuff
“Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’” --Luke 12:15
If your life is consumed with getting more “stuff” or all you care about are material blessings then you are not living with an eternal mindset.
It does not matter how much stuff you accumulate, it will all pass away one day. In fact, when you are no longer here, someone else will enjoy your stuff. For this reason, don’t live for these things. Make your life more than just the pursuit of more possessions. That is an unsatisfying way to live because you will never have enough.
Make your life about pursuing Christ and you will find the satisfaction you are looking for.
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6. Stop Complaining and Arguing
“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” --Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT)
Here are some truths to remember.
• Things will never be perfect.
• People are always going to mess up and make mistakes.
• The pastor is not always going to do what you think they should.
You don’t have to look far to find something to complain about. But, complaining does not solve problems, it only magnifies them.
God did not call you to be a person who complains and grumbles. He called you to be a person who prays and works together in unity.
For those who are complainers, nothing will ever be good enough because they are experts at finding fault. Don’t be that Christian. Be the one who sees their own faults before they complain about those in others. Chances are if you are complaining, it's because you are seeing faults in others that you are overlooking in yourself.
7. Stop Criticizing Each Other in the "Public Square"
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” --Matthew 18:15
The reality of life is there will be times when you disagree with another person.
They could be a believer or an unbeliever. There will be disagreements that happen in the church and even outside the church. Can we please stop airing all our dirty laundry for people to see? Jesus has given us the proper way to manage our disagreements in Matthew 18.
You should always seek to handle conflict privately first and not publicly. Here is one reason why. Because you represent Christ.
If the world sees that we can’t get along with each other, why would they want anything to do with our Jesus? We must recognize sometimes there are more important things than winning the argument or simply being right. If winning means I don’t represent Christ well to the world, then it is far better to lose, because nothing should impede our ability to share Jesus with the world.
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8. Stop Using Social Media as Your Personal Sounding Board
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” --1 Peter 5:7
Social media is one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century. However, the downside is now everyone can share what they want to whenever they want to. People use social media to air their grievances and to tear down other people--and don’t let a famous Christian make a mistake in the public eye because everyone is now calling for their head.
Social media has caused people to lose their compassion and empathy for others because they can now say things to the world about people that they would never say to that individual directly.
Social media does not need to be your personal sounding board. Everyone does not need to know what you are angry about today or your response to something that happens. While people use it to get likes and followers, the question we must ask is are you drawing people to yourself or are you pointing them to Christ?
If you really have an issue, then why not do what Peter commands, and cast that issue upon the Lord? At least you know he really cares for you and wants to help you with it. To do anything else first might bring that person down, bring you down, and bring dishonor to the name of Jesus. When that happens, what have you really gained?
We should always be searching our hearts and never forget who we represent. We are Christ’s ambassadors and when we mess it up, it is his reputation at stake.
Related Resource: How to Make Your Prayer Habits Stick
Have you ever thought: "I wish I would have prayed first?" Remembering to make prayer our first option over others in times of crisis, need, or everyday life can be challenging. We've all experienced the many distractions that circumvent our prayer intentions. Join Rachel on The Untangling Life Podcast as she shares James Clear's 4 laws of behavior change and how they apply to our prayer lives.
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Originally published Thursday, 22 February 2024.
