Hypocrite

Happy Wednesday, everybody! It's time for another blog post!

Today, I wanted to bring up a very touchy subject for a lot of Christians. Before I get started, I want to make a disclaimer that I am not trying to say that I am perfect. Cause I'm not. I am going through a lot of the same things that you all are going through. I sin. But I am forgiven by the Father and that is what makes me want to go on living from my mistakes and not repeating them anymore. 

So, do not feel that I am trying to say that I am better than anybody else. I know that I am not. I struggle to be who I really am, but with the love and compassion I receive from my family, friends, and God, I know that I don't have to try so hard. I just need to relax, and be me. 

Anyway, for the topic today, I feel that I may push a few buttons. But that is what this blog is for. Please feel free to disagree or to make your argument. Say whatever you like. Just, try and keep it clean. (Thanks.)

So....

Hypocrite. 

What does that mean to you? By the dictionary it means 'an impostor'. Someone who says one thing and then turns around an does the other. To get it all out there, we are ALL hypocrites. All of us. Don't deny it either. The bible even says, "For all fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) And it is completely true. We do. We sin. We are sinners. 

James 4:17 says, "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them."
Some examples of hypocrisy are gossip, being judgmental, disobeying parents, lying, unhealthy habits, cussing, idolatry, etc. I will touch a bit on a few of those aforementioned. Ready? Here we go...

Being Judgmental:


Here are two verses that I want you to look at. 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:10-11)

"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? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 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 7:1-5)

These verses talk about us being judgmental towards people. We all do it. Whether it's making fun at that guy who sits by himself at lunch or that girl who wears hand-me-down clothes. It's not cool. But we do it. I do it. And I'm not going to deny it. I feel so guilty after doing it, but I still make fun of them. 
You see, there is this book called unChristian. I've read it. And in it, there is one entire section that focuses on the topic of being judgmental. It is crazy and very eye-opening to read.

We are supposed to be building each other up. Not tearing each other down. It's very cliche, but don't judge a book by it's cover. 

Idolatry:

I'll be quick on this one because it is a topic that is very easily understood.

Idolatry is a big part in our life. We get distracted by things other than God and end up getting addicted to them. To put it simply: If you have to think about it, it's an idol. 

Don't let any of the material things get in your way of a perfect God. He should be the only thing that you are 'addicted' to. 

Gossip:

This is a topic that I will delve deeper into at a later date because it can get very sticky. I am going to try to not go too far into this subject but, gossiping is something we do A LOT. Everybody does it. Little kids, teenagers and even adults. Every one of us is guilty of gossiping. And I really do mean every one. We always have to be in somebody else's business, when in reality, it's their business. Not ours. We don't need to talk about them behind their backs, because we don't want people gossiping about us. 
Just because Johnny did this with Susie, doesn't mean you have to go blab it to the entire school. Susie told you that in secrecy. Now, the whole school knows about it.

Bottom line: don't spread rumors/gossip.

Cussing:

Don't lie. You know that you have cussed at least once in your life. I will admit that I have too. There have been moments where I really want to yell out some choice words. (Especially when I'm driving. I'm no too bad, but there will be some drivers that really grate on my nerves.) I've accidentally let some slip, but I try really hard to swallow it and keep on going.

Honestly, I should always think before I say something like that. I should ask myself, is this crappy driver really more important than shining my light for God? The answer will always be 'no'. Just remember that. It will always be 'no'.

Unhealthy Habits:

Unhealthy habits include lust, drinking, smoking, illegal drugs, etc. Our unhealthy habits are leading us away from God and towards the wrong path.

Usually, peer pressure is the main cause of our unhealthy habits. Our friends do it, so we think we have to do it, when we don't. We need to shine His light to our friends and say "no, I don't do that kind of stuff." Just think, the earlier you start shining His light, the easier it will be to say no to peer pressure. 
These things are a very big deal. You get addicted to them and it leads you from the right path to the wrong path. 


Hypocrisy destroys yourself. It starts building up walls to block you from the good things, keeping you with the wrong things (sin). It destroys your relationship with God and pulls you away from Him.

Eventually, after making the church look bad, you make every single Christian look bad. I found this quote from this girl online and thought you guys should read it.

  "Christians, they love to talk about how loving, dutiful and compassionate they are, yet I have yet to meet ONE who does not practice hypocrisy to the highest degree.  Their willful ignorance of the Bible combined with their two faced idealism to preach it, has made us sick, hasn’t it?  For nearly two thousand years Biblicists have been lecturing people on the importance of adhering to the Bible’s teachings on ethics, manners, and morality.  They quote Jesus and Paul profusely, with a liberal sprinkling of Old Testament moralism.  The problem with their approach lies not only in an oft- noted failure to practice what they preach, but an equally pronounced tendency to ignore what the Bible itself, preaches.  Christians practice what can only be described as “selective morality”.  What they like, they cling to and shove down other’s throats; what they don’t like, they ignore vehemently.  That which is palatable and acceptable is supposedly applicable to all; while that which is obnoxious, inconvenient, or self-denying is only applicable to those addressed 2,000 years ago.  Their hypocrisy is so rampant that even the validity of calling oneself “Christian” is in question."

This is what people are saying about us. This is what non-Christians believe about us. And you know what's funny? We are the cause of all of it. We are hypocritical and the atheists are just waiting for our one slip-up so they can blame an entire group of people. Us being hypocritical is the number one reason for atheism in the world. We ruin people's chances of salvation.

As one of my friends said, "If it weren't for Christians, there would be more Christians."


So, my final question for you today is, when you leave your house, are you shining the light of God?