unChristian - Get Saved!

As i mentioned before, i'm currently reading unChristian. Chapter 4 is about the perception of Christians just being out to get converts:

There's nothing wrong with wanting people to find Jesus. But as one interviewee put it "somehow I don't think Jesus would be happy about being turned into a gimmick." It turns out people are wary of Christians' motives in much the same way we as one might be sceptical of Mormons knocking at the front door.

People see Christians as being purely out to score conversions - with no interest in actual people. Scarily, Christians are often blissfully unaware of this. 64% of Christians believe they come across as sincere - but only 34% of people think that Christians genuinely care about them. So by my maths, at least 30% of Christians are really bad at communicating their interest - or are just really bad fakers.

The chapter also exposed some of the myths that lead well-meaning Christians to add to these unhelpful perceptions of Christians. Also, it points out that "most young people come to Christ because of people they know very well, usually in the context of "everyday" interaction."

This is not new news. In Galatians (6:15) Paul writes "What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation." The chapter suggests three areas of transformation for our own lives - Thinking, Loving and Listening. By this we can influence those around us, being salt and light (Matt 5:13-16).

So to replace insincere 'get saved' attempts, how about this for an alternative? Christians cultivate relationships and environments where others can be deeply transformed by God.