HYPOCRISY IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIVES

HOW  WILL YOU FEEL  AFTER FINDING OUT  THAT  A  FRIEND  YOU  TRUST  HAS  GIVEN YOU  A  DIFFERENT PERCEPTION OF  WHO  HE OR SHE IS?

 In any great forest you will find huge trees. They tower above other trees and appear to be the very picture of strength and maturity. However, loggers will sometimes not even bother to cut down these huge trees. At first one wonders, “Why leave them? After all, we all assume trees as big as that must contain twice or thrice the amount of timber as a smaller tree.”

There is this secret we must all know… huge trees are often rotten on the inside and are the hollow trees that children’s picture books show raccoons living in. And they are the trees that are often blown over in a strong windstorm because, while they appear to be strong, in fact their hollowness makes them weak. And this is how a lot of us Christians are; appearing strong, spiritual (spirit filled) on the outside, but hollow and rotten on the inside, falling victim to temptation and negative influences. Even those of us who profess to be men of God, preach and pray “so much” tend to be more hypocritical. Yeah, it’s true. We are all possible victims and we need to watch our way of life.

One of the saddest things about hypocrisy is that many in the Lord’s church have succumbed to deadly playacting (Pretense). Some Christians try to outwardly appear faithful and concerned about the Lord’s work, but inwardly they are worldly – they are only pretenders. Jesus said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto white sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matt. 23:27-28). Jesus again said we must beware of hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). Paul speaks of hypocrisy when he says, “They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate” (Tit. 1:16).

In our present days we cannot count the number of hypocrites we see around us. We appear to people to be the very spiritual and Holy Spirit led people in the church and even when it comes to things relating to God outside church but I keep asking myself; What is our action life after all that? After shouting the name of God and acting all spiritual, groaning and praying in tongues, what do the people around us see in us?, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: It’s written; these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain (Matt. 15:7-9). After reading this I ask myself, where is my heart? Is it truly with God or I can’t really stand strong at the pleasures of the world .Many Christians see only the faults of others and refuse to see their own. “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (Luke 6:41-42).

I don’t believe we have to struggle to be who we are not. NO! It makes no sense. Get to know who you are, accept who you are and in all humility ask God to help you live right one day at a time instead of living with all the pride and making others feel inferior and God will use you as unique as you are.

How will you feel after knowing a friend you trust has given you a different perception of who he or she is? So, what else do you expect him or her to do when he or she gets to know that the you you profess to be is not YOU? Watch your Footsteps… Watch your way of life.