I have a confession to make: I misrepresent Jesus every single day.

Sometimes it happens in ways that are small and easy to ignore—a cynical thought, a critical comment, a moment of pride that flares up in the middle of a conversation.

Other times, it’s bigger. I catch myself judging fellow Christians harshly, saying things like, “How dare they wear a cross or proclaim to be followers of Christ when their words, actions, and votes contradict the very teachings of Jesus?”

And then I realize, in that very moment, I’m guilty of the same thing. I’m misrepresenting Jesus by letting my judgment and ego take the wheel…because this judgment is often coming from a place of egotistical pride, rather than compassionate concern.

Jesus once asked, “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye but do not notice the plank in your own?”(Matthew 7:3). Those words hit hard because they expose the truth: it’s easy to spot the faults of others and ignore our own. I can read books like John Pavlovitz’s If God is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk and smugly nod along, thinking, “Yes, all those jerky Christians need to hear this.” But if I’m honest, I need to hear it too.

That doesn’t mean we stop holding one another accountable. There are absolutely times when Christians must call out the blatant misuse of Jesus’ name—especially when faith is weaponized to harm the vulnerable, excuse injustice, or prop up systems of oppression. But accountability without humility is just arrogance dressed in religious clothing. Accountability without compassion is just another form of judgment.

The truth is, we’re all stumbling our way through this life of faith. I fall short more than I get it right. And maybe that’s the point—faith is less about proving we’re perfect and more about learning how to extend grace, even as we long for justice. It’s about being honest about the ways we misrepresent Jesus and choosing to live differently tomorrow.

Because let’s be clear: when we use our religion to justify policies and behaviors that strip dignity away from people, we’re misrepresenting Jesus. When we cheer on violence, ignore genocide, mistreat the stranger in our midst, or cut funding for programs that provide healthcare, food, housing, and education, we’re putting words in Jesus’ mouth that He never spoke. We are misrepresenting Jesus when we’re using His name and our Christian faith to defend hatred.

Instead, what if we became known for our civility rather than our rage? What if we embodied the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—instead of the rotten fruit of division, judgment, and hatred? What if we really believed Jesus is big enough to overcome what divides us? What if we proclaimed, in word and deed, that we are ready to “let love rule” (as Lenny Kravitz sings)?

If Jesus is truly our guide, then the world should be able to see it. Not through our pride or our shouting, but through the ways we live—honest about our failures, committed to being better, and working tirelessly for love, grace, compassion, peace and mercy.

Maybe then, we could spend less time misrepresenting Jesus and more time showing the world who He really is.