Perceived

We live in a world in which one of the prevailing mindsets is to reject the teachings of the Bible, which is related to the rejection of God and His people. 1st John chapter 2 says this:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

If we belong to Jesus, if He is our Lord and Savior, then we are members of the Church of the Living God. We can be confident in this world and courageous in Him. 

But, we find that not all share a high opinion of our Savior nor of His Church.  There are instances where you see attempts to silence the voice of the Church. We know not all will believe our message, but it can be discouraging when we find there are those that exhibit hostility toward the things of God.

And, according to a recent Lifeway Research poll, Christians are taking notice.  A survey summary on the organization's website notes:

...53% of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say most Americans have a positive perception of Christians. Two in 5 (40%) disagree, and 8% aren’t sure.

So just over half of these church attendees believe that Christians are perceived in a positive way. But, two-thirds believe the perception of Christians is declining; the summary states, "Around 7 in 10 (69%) believe people’s perceptions of Christians in the U.S. are getting worse, while 21% disagree. Another 10% say they aren’t sure."

And, it appears that those who attend church more regularly are more likely to believe that public perception is waning. The summary notes that, "those who attend a worship service four times a month or more (72%) are more likely than those who attend less frequently (65%) to believe the public opinion of Christians is declining."  

Also, 77% of evangelicals (or "those with evangelical beliefs," according to the language of the summary) agree that the public perception of Christians is declining vs. 61% of those who are not.

Scott McConnell, Executive Director of Lifeway Research, states: “Surely the small growth in other religions in the U.S. and large numbers of Americans that once called themselves Christians but no longer do impacted churchgoer perceptions,” adding, “Not all who left the faith have ill feelings toward Christianity, but indifference is definitely a worse perception than once identifying as one.”

Survey respondents identified what they viewed as reasons for the decline in perception of Christians:

* Two-thirds believe its because "fewer Americans believe faith in God is relevant."
* 45% blame it on Christians, saying they don't behave differently than those who are not.
* And, 40% believe that Americans reject Christians because of their belief, consistent with Jesus' teachings, that it is the "only way."
* Closely behind are the 38% of respondents who believe that perception is on the decline because of "Christians often looking down on those who aren’t Christians."

 

So, are we really responsible for this perception that is out there?  I would certainly hope not, but it does give us the opportunity to consider how we are living.  We should want to represent Jesus in an accurate and compelling manner, so we do have to make sure that we ascertain whether or not we are truly allowing Him to live through us.  We are called to abide in Him and to love as He loves - so that the world might see Him through the way we live. 

But, we also recognize that there is great misinformation out there about the Church and Christianity.  The temptations of this world are strong, and people are deciding whether or not to live for themselves or to live for something - or someone - else.  People have developed wrong ideas about what it really means to be a Christian; now, we can certainly attempt to do something about that. But, the influences of this world are strong and we have to continue to be diligent and vigilant in prayer, recognizing that the enemy, who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, is actively working to keep people away from God - and from interacting with His people.