Pray for Those Who Represent Christ Poorly?

When I was in college, I got a job as a school bus driver. Although the kids were a headache sometimes, I found working with some of the other drivers to prove more challenging. Rick was in his late 20s. His crude language was offensive to me. A curse word did not occasionally slip from his mouth; rather, it was a constant flow of profanity. I wondered if he talked like that during his bus route.


My stomach really churned when Rick would invite fellow
drivers to come to his church. They all said a quick, “No.” After he walked away, some would laugh and others would make comments like, “If that’s the way they talk at his church, I’m not interested.” “He must be joking. He doesn’t go to church, does he?” “What a jerk.” Although I am normally open about my faith, I didn’t want to be associated with Rick’s critical attitude and coarse language. He was a poor representative of Christ. So, I kept silent.


Now that I look back, I considered my display of Jesus better than Rick’s. Wasn’t my sin of pride equally as bad as his speech and attitude? I had followed Christ for 11 years, but maybe he was a brand-new believer.


In Luke 22:32, Jesus said, “But I have prayed for you Simon, that your faith may not fail.” He’s the dude that panicked and fell into the waves of the Sea of Galilee. He’s the guy that cut off the ear of the soldier in the Garden of Gethsemane. Later, he denied Jesus three times and cursed when questioned about it. Peter embarrassed the cause of Christ a few times, yet many consider him a hero of the holy.

Like Jesus, I will pray for other believers that their faith may not fail. That includes Rick and all others who may represent Christ poorly. I also hope there is someone praying my faith will not fail, because I may be only seconds away from shaming my Savior.