Don’t Be a Hypocrite

I have heard people say they don’t attend church or don’t believe in organized religion because they feel most Christians act worse than they themselves do. Many feel it’s hypocritical that they are preached to and told they are doing wrong and must repent of their sins by those who call themselves Christians, especially when they know the same people walk around in public with holier-than-thou attitudes while participating in sinful and/or unlawful activities outside of the public eye.

I can understand where they’re coming from and admit that I’ve felt that way in the past as well. How about you?

Sometimes I wonder if my own words or actions have turned others away from God. Do our actions outside of a church building let others know we love and serve the Lord? I know I have a lot of work to do in this area.

I admit there are many times when I don’t always act Christ-like. One specific example is at sporting events, particularly local ones and especially ones in which one of my children are participating.  I’m a very competitive person by nature and played a variety of sports when I was younger. Therefore, I love attending games and cheering on my local teams.

I’ve never been thrown out of a game or even gotten a warning, but I have yelled out my displeasure at times, thrown my hands up in disgust at a bad call, cursed, and even returned snarky comments to fans of the opposite team.

I also coached my daughter’s traveling softball team for a couple of years. My daughter is not a competitive person and dislikes aggressiveness. I was not nice to my daughter as a coach. I would never yell at or demean another person’s child; however, I ashamedly admit that my daughter took the brunt of my coaching frustrations.

Instead of just encouraging her in a loving manner, I would point out all the negative things she did and what she should do better the next game. My worst moment was when I singled her out and screamed at her in the middle of a game when she hadn’t done anything wrong. I embarrassed myself, and more importantly, her.

Unsurprisingly, my daughter did not enjoy her time playing, and I knew I couldn’t coach her anymore because I couldn’t control that competitiveness in myself. I had to remove myself from that role because it was detrimental not only to my walk with God but also to my relationship with my daughter.

That is just one example of how I don’t always exhibit a Christian attitude; unfortunately, there are many others. Do you struggle with competitiveness as well? What things in your life cause you to stumble or exhibit hypocritical behavior? Can you step away from those things?

What is Hypocrisy?

The website merriam-webster.com defines hypocrisy as “a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel.” When I think about hypocrisy, I think of pretending or playing a role.

Jesus warns believers about hypocrisy in Matthew 23. In this passage He outlines to His followers the duplicitous actions of the religious leaders of the time.

He tells the crowd to do as the religious leaders tell them to “…but do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see…,” (Matthew 23:2-5). Some of these things included wearing elaborate garments, being greeted by titles in public places, and sitting in the best, most visible seats at social gatherings and in places of worship.

Do you dress to impress simply to show-off your stylishness or wealth? Do you go places just to see or be seen? Do you bask in hearing others call you by your special title? The truth is, it feels good to hold a place of honor, to have the best seat in the house, to be the best dressed somewhere, and to be respected by your peers. However, God isn’t impressed by those things.

In Matthew 23, starting in verse 13, Jesus further outlines specific examples of how the religious leaders were steering others away from God’s teachings via their prideful actions and attitudes of superiority. He reveals His disgust with them through his seven “woes.” I encourage you to check them out.

Jesus makes it clear to us, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” (Matthew 23:11-12).

We should not put ourselves before others, boast of or take advantage of our positions, or expect esteem or preferential treatment from others, no matter what role we play in God’s work. We are just as undeserving and lowly as anyone else. The only difference for believers is that we have been blessed with salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ and have the promise of an eternal life in heaven once this life has passed. That same promise is available to anyone who is willing to accept it.

God Uses Sinners

I admit that I don’t always act as a Christian should, not only within a crowd but also with groups of friends and even around my own family. I’m ashamed of that, and I’m sure others probably think I am hypocritical too.

That has been one of my concerns starting this blog. People know me and know my past. Why would they ever read anything I put out there knowing the things I’ve done? How can God use me to bring others to Him?

In Romans 3 we’re told, “There is no one righteous, not even one,” (verse 10). “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin,” (verse 20). “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between the Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus,” (verses 22-24).

When you delve into God’s Word, you can find many examples of individuals who seemed unworthy of God’s love due to the things they had done in their lives. However, God forgave them and used them in special ways to further His kingdom.

One woman’s story comes to mind, that of Rahab from the book of Joshua. Rahab was a Canaanite, an enemy of the Israelites, who lived in Jericho at the time when the Israelites had come to occupy the land God had promised to them way back during the time of Abraham. Rahab was also a prostitute.

However, Rahab professed not only her belief in God and His greatness, but also expressed her willingness to serve Him by hiding the two Israelite spies and helping them to escape the city to return to their camp. She did this by lying to the king’s men, and in return asked that she and her family be spared when the Israelites invaded. In Joshua 6 we find out that Rahab and her family are indeed spared from death by the Israelites due to her help.

In fact, God blessed Rahab immensely for her faith and service to Him despite the fact she was a Canaanite, a prostitute, and a liar. Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite man, and their lineage includes their son Boaz, who you can read about in the book of Ruth; their great-great-grandson David, a shepherd boy who slayed a giant and became a beloved king; and most importantly, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

I take great comfort in Rahab’s story, knowing that if God was able to use a woman like her despite her wrongdoings, He can also use me and you.

I think one of the best ways to reach others for Christ is to be honest about yourself and your shortcomings, but also express what God has done in your life despite those things. Don’t claim or pretend to be someone you’re not, but also don’t forget that through salvation, you are chosen, holy, and dearly loved by God, as written in Colossians 3:12.

I can honestly tell you that I sin and fail every single day, even when I make a conscious effort not to. It’s in my nature, as a human being. I do try to be better every day. Some days I succeed more than others, but it is a daily struggle.

Judge Not

One thing I strive to abstain from, and I hope you do too, is judging others. While I may not agree with someone’s words, actions, or beliefs, I know that I have no room to pass judgment because I’m unqualified for that job.

Matthew 7:1-3 instructs us, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

In this passage, from Jesus’ own words, He clearly tells us that not one of us is worthy to judge someone’s flaws and sins because we ourselves are imperfect sinners as well. “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye,” (Matthew 7:5).

As Christians, we should help hold each other accountable in our walks with God. Therefore, I think it’s okay talk to one another about our sins and even point out each other’s sins at times. However, we should always do so in a loving and humble manner. 

Women of God, we all have insecurities we deal with daily. We may hide them well, but they are still there, masked under the surface. Be cognizant of this, but also remember the beauty and uniqueness God blessed each of us with.

We are reminded once again in James 4:12, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor?”

Ladies, let us not only lift up our fellow women in Christ, but also everyone we come into contact with. We don’t always know what someone else is dealing with from day-to-day, and they likely don’t know our struggles either.

Let’s leave the judgement to God and simply provide truth, along with kindness and empathy. This is something I continue to work on, and I hope you will as well. We all have sin in our lives, but we all are promised forgiveness if we truly repent and ask God for it.

Have a blessed week!

-Becky