TOP TEN THINGS MY FLESH HATES ABOUT CHRISTIANITY

TOP TEN THINGS MY FLESH HATES ABOUT CHRISTIANITY (But My SOUL Knows It Is Life)

There are days when I must admit something plainly: my flesh does not like Christianity.

Oh, my spirit rejoices in Christ — but this old man in me? He complains. He resists. He sighs dramatically. He wants easier terms.

Christianity is wonderful for the redeemed soul — and terribly inconvenient for the ego.

Here are ten things my flesh quietly grumbles about.

1. My flesh hates that it cannot save itself.

It wants a résumé. It wants applause. It wants to say, “I did that.”

But the Word of God says salvation is by grace through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

My flesh wants credit. Jesus gets glory. And that bruises pride every single time.

2. My flesh hates repentance.

Repentance feels like losing an argument. It feels like saying, “You were right, Lord. I was wrong.”

Mark tells us Jesus came preaching repentance and belief in the gospel (Mark 1:15). My flesh prefers explaining. Justifying. Clarifying.

The Spirit says, “Confess it.”

3. My flesh hates loving enemies.

Now let’s be honest.

My flesh does not want to pray for someone who lied on me. It does not want to bless someone who insulted me. It certainly does not want to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39).

My flesh wants to drop a verbal bomb and walk away slow like an action movie.

But Jesus says forgive. Jesus says bless. Jesus says overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). And suddenly Christianity feels very inconvenient.

4. My flesh hates letting people “get away with stuff.”

You know what I mean.

When someone wrongs you and everything inside you screams, “Say something sharp. Set them straight. Make it sting.”

But the Lord says vengeance belongs to Him (Romans 12:19).

My flesh wants courtroom justice now. God says, “Trust Me.” That requires faith — and restraint — which my flesh finds exhausting.

5. My flesh hates watching my mouth.

Oh yes.

There are moments when sarcasm would feel amazing. When a cutting sentence would land perfectly. When a spicy post would gather applause.

But James says the tongue is a fire (James 3:6), and Paul says let no corrupt word proceed from your mouth (Ephesians 4:29).

So instead of dropping a bomb, I must drop grace.

And sometimes that feels like swallowing glass.

6. My flesh hates dying daily.

Jesus said if anyone would come after Him, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

Daily?

My flesh was hoping for “occasionally.”

Or “when convenient.”

The cross is not jewelry. It is an instrument of death. And my ego feels every nail.

7. My flesh hates sexual holiness.

The culture says indulge. Christianity says your body is a temple; you are not your own; you were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

My flesh says, “Relax.”

The Spirit says, “Be holy.”

One leads to chains. The other leads to freedom.

8. My flesh hates generosity.

It fears not having enough. It tightens its grip. It counts what it might lose. But Jesus says it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

My flesh clutches.

Grace opens the hand.

9. My flesh hates waiting.

Waiting on answers. Waiting on justice. Waiting on promises.

James says the testing of faith produces endurance, and endurance must have its perfect work (James 1:3-4).

My flesh wants overnight deliverance.

God grows oak trees, not mushrooms.

10. My flesh hates that Christianity centers on a crucified King.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). My flesh would have designed a throne, spectacle, visible dominance.

God chose a cross.

And there — at that cross — my flesh is exposed, contradicted, and ultimately crucified.

Conclusion

Christianity is not hard because it is unreasonable. It is hard because it is holy. It offends the ego. It confronts the appetite. It dismantles pride. It crucifies self.

But what my flesh calls restriction, my soul calls rescue. What my flesh calls loss, my spirit calls life.

For those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). And though the old man groans, the new man rejoices.

Because every nail that pierces the flesh loosens another chain from the heart.

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Lord Jesus, Crucify in me what resists You. Teach me to laugh at my own pride, to confess quickly, to forgive freely, and to trust You when my flesh demands revenge. Let Your cross not merely inspire me — let it transform me. May my ego shrink and Your glory increase. And when my flesh protests, remind me that real life is found in surrender. Amen.

BDD