As Billy Graham said, “we [as Christians] are the Bibles the world is reading,” which begs the question: What does the world see in us? Unfortunately, many times they see our bad. Today we’ll talk about a few of the bad habits many Christians exhibit at one time or another in our lives and how to move forward.

What does the world see when it looks at me? What does the unbeliever take away after time near me? Do I shine the light of Jesus? Or do I instead offer a set of rules to be followed?

One of my favorite quotes—and by “favorite,” I mean that I can’t help but recognize the truth of it—is this one by Ravi Zacharias:

I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the gospel has not been its inability to provide answers but the failure on our part to live it out.

Unfortunately, Ravi’s own life exhibited this truth.

My heart breaks for all those turned off by the lives of Christians.

And, as a result, I prefer the name believer instead. The Christian category is broad, but the believer category—the all-in Jesus follower—isn’t.

For the longest time, this distinction seemed frustratingly obvious to me. Now, though, I realize the distinction isn’t as set as I’ve always thought.

The truth is I’ve been guilty of many of the bad habits Christians easily fall into.   

Bad Habits Every Christian Should Break

#1 – Not reading our Bibles.

To be human is to err so Alexander Pope said way back when, and he’s right. We need direction, and God has provided it for us in Scripture.

How can we expect to live light-filled lives without understanding what God’s will is through the Word He’s given to us?

#2 – Not applying biblical truths to our lives.

The second part to understanding the will of God is to do it. Even when it’s uncomfortable.

We must always ask ourselves what Scripture shows us about every situation. Nothing in our lives should supersede biblical principles whether it’s our taxes, a difficult coworker, our political affiliations, social justice, or talking to those who are different than we are.

#3 – Living legalistic lives.

Legalistic is a term I heard for a long time before I realized it also applied to me. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, legalism is “strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code” and Dictionary.com adds “especially to the letter rather than the spirit.”

It seems logical that if we’re trying to follow the teachings of the Bible that we would have a list of good things to do and a list of bad. Do this. Don’t do that.

But that isn’t how it works. Yes, the Bible guides us in our lives, but, at the heart, we’re to have a relationship with the author.  

#4 – Policing others’ behavior.

Along with living legalistic lives, the Christian road can so easily lead us to the desire to tell others how they should live. Instead of caring for the heart of our neighbor, we only care about what actions make us uncomfortable.

We don’t care about the more grievous actions that we do or that those who look like us do. And instead of the love of Christ, those around us only hear what they’re doing wrong—what we’re against. So why wouldn’t they turn to a culture where they feel love?

I’ve come to realize that Scripture never tells us to shout from the rooftops that everyone around us will go to hell unless they stop x, y, and z. What Scripture does say is that we should be telling and showing others the love of Christ.

There are prescriptions in the New Testament of how the people of the Church should conduct themselves, but these are for Christians. Not for Christians to pound neighbors over the head with.

Instead, we are to love our neighbor as Jesus said when asked what the greatest commandment was. He answered to love God with all you got, as I’m sure you remember, but He didn’t stop there; He volunteered the second greatest, too—love your neighbor as yourself.

What does the world see when they look at me? I don’t know. But I hope to be seen as someone who isn’t perfect, doesn’t try to be, and is grateful to be loved by God.

What bad habits would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.

More Resources

• Christians, Let’s Stop Fighting Each Other and Serve Our Neighbors in Need Instead by Chris Palusky at USA Today
• 50 Christian Quotes to Inspire Your Faith Every Day from Crosswalk
• 5 Simple Things the People-Pleaser Should Remember from HISsparrowBlog
• How To Stop Being Jealous of Other People from HISsparrowBlog
• Christian Behavior: How Good Are We {Really} At These Simple Social Graces? from HISsparrowBlog

I frequently link up with the following: Grace & Truth with Embracing the Unexpected, Tell His Story with Jeanne Takenaka, and Let’s Have Coffee with Joanne Viola.