A hypocrite is a person who pretends to have certain beliefs, attitudes, or feelings when they really do not. Hypocrisy is still out of control today with religious people, politicians, or even with people you pass on the street. Our society is full of extreme double standards. Why don’t people live out their beliefs? Either they don’t truly believe what they say they do, or they don’t know how to act on their beliefs.
I believe most Christians (and most people) fall into the second category. When we don’t allow our beliefs to be the inward focus of our hearts, our faith is just outward actions. Hypocrisy can start out subtly and even with good intentions. Here’s how to avoid becoming a hypocrite:
Don’t fix your eyes on others-To
avoid hypocrisy, turn your focus to believing the Word of God and applying
it to your own heart. When you focus on Jesus, He’ll
teach you, guide you, and fill you with love and grace to extend to others. We’re
prone to focusing on others for many reasons:
·
We
think it’s easier to follow others than to follow Jesus.
·
We
get drawn in by people who are entertaining or charming like a favorite pastor.
·
It’s
easier to look at someone else than to look honestly at ourselves.
·
In
order to gain admiration, we focus on performance and the appearance of
goodness instead of internal goodness.
·
We
try to find direction by looking at others’ journeys.
·
We’re
guarded because we’ve previously been hurt or mislead.
Extend grace and forgiveness-
But what good does it do if someone makes a mistake and you point the finger?
Don’t you think they’re already frustrated on their own? Don’t take on the role
of the accuser when someone messes up. Focus on Jesus’ character, not your
performance. In turn, you’ll be able to love by extending grace and forgiveness
not only to yourself but also to others.
If you keep your focus on God and
remember that He’s the standard, it won’t threaten you when someone messes up.
You know mistakes happen. And you know that when they do, you’re meant to
encourage others. We fail to extend grace for several reasons:
·
Fear.
We fear we’ll be taken advantage of or corrupted by others’ actions.
·
Performance.
We focus on actions and the appearance of goodness instead of focusing on
Christ’s message of love.
·
Pride.
We don’t think others deserve grace like we do.
·
Unforgiveness.
We’re hard on ourselves when we mess up; therefore we’re hard on others.
Don’t judge or label-Judging
someone by his or her actions can be hypocritical. Even calling someone a
hypocrite isn’t always right because you’re also a hypocrite from time to time
for judging someone else .Some hypocrite-bashers say, “Well at least I’m real
and don’t try to hide my actions.”
But they don’t realize that they’re still
trying to justify bad behavior. And whether it’s bad behavior on display or bad
behavior in hiding, both are equally sinful. Labeling others is a fast track to
being a hypocrite yourself. The next
time you find yourself fixing your eyes on others instead of on Jesus. If you unwilling
to extend forgiveness and quick to label someone try the following:
·
When
someone offends you, pause and think of a time when you’ve done something
similar. Then remember that, as Christians, we’re to forgive, and not hold
grudges. Let offenses cause you to consider your own behavior, thank God for
forgiveness, and offer a pardon to the other person.
·
If
you can’t think of anything you’ve done that’s similar to what the other person
has done, remember other things that God has forgiven you of.
“God doesn’t care how many scriptures you put
on Facebook, or how many Bible verses you have memorized. He cares about how
you treat people. So quit being a
hypocrite.”
(Somee Cards)[i]
[i]Sources used:
·
“How to Stop Being a Hypocritical Christian” by Kylah
Kerry
·
“Hypocrite” from
YourDictionary.com
No comments:
Post a Comment