The Trap of Comfortable Christianity

While on a trip, I met someone, and it was truly an incredible experience. Have you ever met someone and just instantly clicked? You know, that moment when you hit it off right away? It was one of those times. I asked him many questions, but then he asked me the question I always dread when meeting new people: “So, what do you do for a living?” I dislike this question because, as soon as I mention that I’m a pastor, the conversation tends to get weird.

There are two kinds of “weird” that happen when I say I’m a pastor. One is what I call “Christian-weird,” where the conversation shifts to, “Well, praise the Lord. Hallelujah, brother.” It becomes all about religion and is a little over the top. The other type is the opposite, where the conversation just dies. It’s as if they no longer want to talk to me. While I’ve never lied about what I do, I do sometimes think about avoiding the question.

So, when this guy asked me what I do for a living, I took a breath and said, “I’m a pastor.” The surprising thing was, even though I could tell he wasn’t Christian, he didn’t react awkwardly. Instead, he just carried on and started telling me about the good deeds he does. I really liked him. He shared that he donates to a homeless charity and tries to be loving toward others. He also told me he’s living with his girlfriend, but they’re not having sex, and he was really proud of that. He said, “I’m living with my girlfriend, but we’re not having sex,” and I was like, “Good for you, mate. I don’t even know what to say!” But he was genuinely proud of his values.

I asked, “Do you have a faith story?” He replied, “Oh, kinda, sorta…” and then went on to describe a blend of beliefs: “I’m into New Age stuff for the positive energy, and I looked into Buddhism, and I like a lot of different religions, including Jesus. So, I guess you could say I’m Christian-ish.” When he said “Christian-ish,” I thought, “That’s the word I’ve been looking for!”

For the past 29 years of leading Life Church, I’ve encountered many people who are “Christian-ish.” In the Bible Belt, where I live, it’s common for people to call themselves Christians without fully embracing the faith. They may attend church on Christmas and Easter, identify as spiritual, believe in God, and want to go to heaven, but if you ask others if they are truly Christian, they might say, “I’m not sure… maybe, maybe not. I’m Christian-ish.”

As we begin a new year, I want to introduce a term: Christian-ish. It refers to having a half-hearted faith—wearing the label of Christianity without genuinely following Jesus. It’s being Christian in name only, like “almost Christian,” “sort of Christian,” or just “Christian-ish.” From a pastoral perspective, being Christian-ish means embracing a diluted, superficial version of Christianity—enough to feel better about yourself but not enough to make a real change in your life.

Happy New Year and welcome to Life Church, where my goal is to help you grow in your faith. A seminary professor once told me, “The role of an effective pastor is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” If you feel comfortable right now, let me challenge you today. I believe you can get closer to Jesus this year and become more effective for His kingdom than ever before. Let’s dive into God’s Word today as we explore Revelation 3.