Hypocrisy (click to comment)

I heard about a preacher who was strolling down the street and came upon some kids who had surrounded a scruffy looking dog. He thought they might be hurting the dog, so he stopped and said, “Whatcha doin?” One of the boys said, “This is a stray dog. We all want him, but only one of us can keep him. We’ve decided that whoever can tell the biggest lie gets to keep the dog.” Well, the reverend said, “Boys. God doesn’t want us to lie. It’s a sin. When I was your age, I never told a lie.” There was dead silence. Then one of the kids said, “Okay, give him the dog.”

One of the most common accusations I hear against Christians is that we’re a bunch of hypocrites. We pretend to have it all together. A seat-mate mentioned this to me on a flight recently. We got talking about Jesus and Christianity and he said, “Why would I go to church? It’s full of hypocrites.” I loved his honesty and told him so. “Guilty as charged.” Then I asked, “How about you? Ever said you’d do something and not followed through? Been something in private that you’d never be in public?” He nodded. I told him that’s why I need a Saviour.  The truth is, we all have trouble being real, don’t we?

Are you fake or are you the real deal? I think it’s time we stop trying to fool others by appearing to have it all together. Let’s start by telling our friends that we’re not as bad as they think. We’re worse. In my book To Be Perfectly Honest I had to admit that I battle so many things: being judgmental, greedy, covetous. I routinely fall short. When we’re honest about our own brokenness, we stop pointing out the sins of others and give God thanks for forgiving the likes of us. We become refreshingly authentic. Liberated, truly free to live in the joy God intended we experience.

In Luke 6 Jesus tells a huge crowd, “It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds…These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.” The Bible is filled with words that help us get real, it’s my hope that you will go and read some today.