So many people, Christians included, set very high expectations on Christians. And rightly so, because every person who declares himself to be a Christ-follower ought to be like Christ in character, demeanor, and treatment of others.
Some, however, place very high standards forgetting that Christians are humans too. We Christians aren't perfect. In fact, we're far from it. The Bible merely states that God is working in each and every one of us, but we will only be made perfect on the day of Christ.
That said, I am writing this article for every reader, Christian or not. I would like to give you a fair warning about what you shouldn't expect from any Christian. This is in no way an article meant to put down any Christ-follower. Rather, it's a write-up meant to show readers the reality that we Christians aren't perfect, but we're doing our best to be at least Christ-like.
1) Give all that we have to you
While the Lord Jesus keeps telling people to give all the possessions they have, it's a fact that no one can actually do that. Have you ever seen any man go out without any clothes on and without food in his stomach because he decided to give his "everything"?
While genuine Christ-followers are usually generous, people shouldn't expect that Christians should give every single penny they have to somebody else, even if the cause is good. We Christians need food, shelter, clothing, and love too and need to weigh up our giving with meeting our responsibilities.
2) Have limitless patience
Seriously, we Christians have limits to what we can do. Having ministered to different kinds of people from different age groups for years, I can say that it's a joy to be patient and kind to others, lending them a listening ear. But of course, there are times when I was unable to do that, too.
That said, people shouldn't expect us Christians to be there for them all 86,400 seconds of each day, every single day of every year. People shouldn't expect that we won't get angry, won't get upset, won't be affected by what they do. After all, who likes being abused and treated like a tool?
3) Be very selfless
While the Lord Jesus teaches all of us Christians to love others, we are also taught to love others "as ourselves." This simply means that we will treat others the way we want to be treated.
With that in mind, it will be very helpful for people to note that when we treat another person with respect or some good kind of treatment, we may not (and won't) say it but we also want that kind of treatment, too.
Some people might think of being "selfless" as not really thinking about their own welfare and just thinking of others, but that's wrong. Being selfless means treating others well first, without demanding the same treatment in return. That's what we are striving for, but wouldn't it be nice to have a society where people treat each other the way they want to be treated?
Genuine Christ-followers will do all the good they can towards all, but of course that doesn't mean they want to be abused.
