Consider Bursting Your Christian Bubble

Growing up in a secular home and not coming to salvation until I was twenty-six years old has given me a relatively unique perspective in the local church. Most people with whom I have attended church grew up in or currently live in the Christian bubble.

You’ve heard the term, and most of us know when we see it even if we cannot quite define it. I, however, had never heard of it until years into my Christian walk. Though, it had quietly been making me feel safe at times and completely rejected by my fellow church members in other instances. After fifteen years of examining the bubble up-close, I think it is time to burst this Christian bubble in which so many live.

Christian Bubble, Defined

There is nuance in the Christian bubble’s definition. Circumstances and where someone is in her Christian walk can make a lifestyle choice definitive evidence of living in the bubble or not mean anything at all. However, there are a couple of critical pieces that are always in place.

First, the Christian bubble generally only allows “Christian” things inside. The world stays out. What are “Christian” things? Well, those in the bubble may only listen to Christian radio and watch Christian movies. Also, they likely only interact in meaningful ways with people who are Christian. In fact, the Christian people they choose to associate with may be limited to people in their church or even just the people in their church who fit a strict list of criteria.

Second, the individuals in the bubble don’t venture outside of it. In other words, the lives inside the Christian bubble are self-contained. This looks like a family who creates a world insulated from the realities and members of the world around them. A woman in the Christian bubble might live in a community in which she knows no one and isolates herself from anyone who is not strikingly similar to her.

Finally, one thing seems to always be true about the Christian bubble. Essentially, it is a subculture that is as removed from secular influences as members of the bubble deem necessary. Now, one bubble may look different from another. Some Christian bubbles create a tiny world in which to live. On the other hand, some bubbles allow for more inside because the members permit more in their lives as Christians. So, it’s not an exact science, but I think we get it.

Clues You Might Be In The Christian Bubble

Maybe you’re thinking of people you know who live in the Christian bubble, but you are certain that you aren’t in it, too. Sure, maybe that’s true. But it’s a good idea to take stock of where we are in our Christian lives every now and again. So, here are five clues that you might be in the Christian bubble.

1. You have a strikingly limited amount of meaningful interactions with nonbelievers.

The reason for this “clue” matters a lot. For example, I’m a homemaker, and I homeschool my kids. I don’t have a job to go to every day, and my activities tend to revolve around church (which my husband pastors) and homeschool stuff. Even my hobby is a bit isolated! Writing isn’t exactly a group activity…

All that said, I still have opportunities to spend time with nonbelievers. For one, my husband and I minister in the church to people who still need the Savior. I would venture to guess that my Christian homeschool co-ops and groups have probably had some nonbelievers in them. Not to mention, there’s always the internet. Getting saved in my mid-twenties had an interesting effect on my list of Facebook friends. I had nearly no Christian friends when I became a believer, therefore, I still have plenty of opportunities to engage with nonbelievers from my pre-Christ life. Though the Facebook waters can be treacherous, I have actually had some profitable and enjoyable conversations with people I never expected. Of course, some others have been awful.

Believers in the Christian bubble don’t look for ways to engage with nonbelievers when they have limited opportunities like I do. Instead, they purpose to stay away from them.

2. You only participate in church sanctioned activities.

Recreation time is a great time to spend with family, and it is also a fantastic opportunity to get involved in your community. There are people in your community, and they need some Christians in their lives!

Is everything you do within the confines of the church walls? If they are, did you know that your community might offer a book club, T-ball, or library events for kids like arts and crafts? You might be in the Christian bubble if the idea of those things makes you uneasy.

3. You don’t pray for nonbelievers.

I bet you’ve been to a prayer meeting in which every prayer request was for another Christian. Did that seem off to you? It should have. I’m not saying don’t pray for each other. Please do! I know I definitely need prayer every day. But, you know, nonbelievers need prayer, as well. I’ve been to prayer meetings that had not one mention of any unsaved person or people group. They were so in the Christian bubble that they seemed to no longer have a heart for the lost.

4. Your outreach only reaches in.

Take a moment to assess your church’s outreach events and activities. Who do they try to reach? Obviously, we should be reaching out to the community to serve and minister to their needs, most importantly is the need for Jesus Christ. Plenty of churches don’t do this, though.

A church filled with members in the Christian bubble tends to do things for themselves. There is no lack of fellowship opportunities, but who else is there? Friends? Family? Other like-minded churches? Well, that’s fine, but unless you reach out to others your church isn’t truly reaching out. Get it? We need to open the door, not slam it shut.

5. You are uncomfortable with church visitors.

I will admit it. I’m uncomfortable around new people. I’m a shy, introverted, only child. Of course I’m uncomfortable around strangers! Also, sometimes I’m a little uncertain around nonbelievers. I worry I’m too weird to them, and I have a difficult time hearing certain language they are comfortable using around me. Most of the time, though, that’s not an issue. Besides, we shouldn’t let worries and concerns stop us from being kind and welcoming to others.

Church visitors are a fantastic opportunity to show Christ’s love, and every visitor is a possible new member. Now, I’m not about the numbers game that some churches play, but a new member means a new person to bring her unique gifts to the church family. It also means someone else to serve with and minister to. She might be a new friend. Moreover, she might not know the Lord yet, and this visit to your church could be a pivotal event in her future salvation.

Yes, visitors make church less predictable. They might sit in your seat. (I hope you know that’s a joke…) A guest might wear something you’d never be caught wearing. She might live a lifestyle you know to be sin. You love her anyway and welcome her. Give her the gospel. If this is something you are not interested in doing, then you might be stuck in a Christian bubble.

Dangers Of The Christian Bubble

Living inside a predictable, safe, God-centered bubble has its draw. Not everything about the bubble is bad, but there are some dangers of cocooning in a hideaway from the world.

1. You are not doing the work of the church.

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) tells us to teach all nations, baptize them, and teach them to obey the Lord’s commandments. Are you doing that if you don’t leave your bubble and reach the community around you?

Frankly, Christians living in the bubble are a major turn-off to nonbelievers. Those on the outside see a clique, and they feel rejected by those Christians in the bubble without ever having to say a word to them.

People outside of the bubble won’t fit into our carefully designed mold and that’s OK. Meet people where they are, but you’ll have to take a step out toward them to do it.

2. The Christian bubble can puff us up.

Ask around, and you’ll hear similar stories about Christians who began to look at others (even other Christians) as less godly than they were because of XYZ. XYZ can be any number of things. “He’s not as good a Christian as me because he watches that new show.” “Her walk with the Lord is questionable because she sends her kids to public school.” “I think he might be backslidden now that he works on Wednesday nights.” Meanwhile, those dwelling within the Christian bubble can’t see their own sin because they’re too busy keeping track of what and who is allowed in the bubble.

Faith can start to become more about works and the things from which we abstain. And we can begin to see everyone else’s failings. We eventually believe, on the other hand, that we are the only ones who are living the right way. 

3. The Christian bubble can push our children from the faith.

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, conducted a five year research project to investigate faith in teens and young adults. His findings, released in 2011, offer a little insight into the effects of the Christian bubble on youth. Research that focused on people who were regular churchgoers and left church after fifteen years of age indicated that 23% of individuals between eighteen and twenty-nine years old believed that “Christians demonize everything outside of the church.” In addition, 22% reported that the Church ignores the problems faced in the real world.

I’m not saying this research is a slam dunk against the Christian bubble, but there’s certainly a flag on the play. (Mixing up my sports a bit…) How often do we hear about kids being so sheltered that they end up going wild when they leave home or even before? What about those teens who go to college with the best intentions and don’t know how to live in a world filled with temptations and people who challenge their beliefs?

Ladies, our Christian bubble might be hurting, not protecting, our children. They can’t love Christ or understand Him in a real way when Jesus is only associated with limitations, rules, and a lack of experiences.

The Christian Bubble Is Not All Bad For Kids

So, now you think I’m telling you to send your kids out into the night with nothing to protect them. Remember, I homeschool, and the bad influence in public school is one of the reasons! I am a strong proponent of sheltering our children and waiting to introduce ideas until they are ready. I believe in these things because I believe children need training.

We can keep them in a bubble, if you will, while they are young. Eventually, though, they need to leave the small and mom approved world we’ve created and step outside of the bubble. This is the time to train your children “in the field.” Don’t just toss them out there. Instead, help them navigate and be a safe person for them to approach with questions.

Training our children will help them be ready for the world when they are on their own. Yes, it’s messier to raise kids this way, but demonizing everyone and everything outside of our created “safe spaces” won’t help our children or demonstrate Christ’s love to those in need. And you can be sure our children will see the hypocrisy of living in a Christian bubble and merely talking about people needing to hear the gospel. We can’t just wring our hands wondering who will share the Christ with the world. We will!

How To Leave The Christian Bubble

1. Pray.

Pray for God to reveal His plans for you, for the humility to admit you need to change, and for ways to minister to others. And pray for the lost.

2. Get involved in your community.

My husband likes weightlifting, so he has volunteered his time to train weightlifters for our local Special Olympics participants. He is also a volunteer firefighter and practices jiu jitsu. He enjoys these things, and he is growing roots and relationships in our community.

3. Get to know your neighbors.

As an apartment kid, meeting neighbors is not my strength. I never knew my neighbors. Apartment folks just ignored each other where I grew up. As a Christian now, I can see the value of befriending neighbors, though. Neighbors might turn down my invitation to church, but I can continue to be a walking testimony of Jesus Christ for as long as they live near me. That is powerful.

4. Influence the culture.

Too many Christians retreat from the culture. Let’s acknowledge up front that the real battle is for people to know Jesus, not to be on the correct political side. Real change can only happen through Christ. However, be aware of what is happening in the world and be a voice for good and for God. Speak up for the unborn. Encourage other Christians to vote for candidates who support policies that do not infringe upon our rights to worship and raise our children as we see fit. Bring up kids who understand the difference between what the world says and what God says. These may seem like small things, but they really do affect the culture around us.

Final Thought

Christian fellowship is essential to Christian living, but your faith doesn’t belong hidden away in a Christian bubble protected from the dirty hands of the unsaved. If the church I was saved in welcomed me at an arm’s length, I would have walked out of there. TAs for my husband, a church in central Illinois opted to reach out door-to-door. They knocked. He answered. Jesus saved.

Who do you think you were before you became a Christian? You were exactly the kind of person that is avoided by those in the Christian bubble. Jesus didn’t pull away from you in your sinful, wretched, and depraved state. He loved you anyway and offered the most precious gift anyone can receive. Salvation. Are you too good now to step out and help others know about the gift, too? Nope. So, let’s burst that Christian bubble and get to work.

Have you been stuck in the Christian bubble before? Were you raised in one?

Image courtesy of Marc Sendra Martorell via Unsplash.