Something has set me on fire this morning and before I continue on with my day, I feel a need to get it out. It is the issue of hypocrisy. I hate hypocrisy and I think most people do and I have noticed that people call each other out on it a lot. I notice it more than I used to, but I believe that is because it is often aired out on social media now. Sometimes I see it between a Christian and a non-Christian, other times I see it between democrats and republicans, but the one that brings me the most pain is when I see it done between brothers and sisters in Christ.
See, I can understand why a non-Christian might call us out on issues that look hypocritical. We say one thing and sometimes do another. It's the truth. Non believers see that and, quite frankly, I have not problem with them calling us out. Why? Because we have been called to a higher standard and if we talk the talk and don't walk the walk.......then there are probably issues in our lives we need to deal with. We can't get mad at them for pointing out something that doesn't make sense. I'm not saying we do not stand up and defend our faith, because we are commanded to always be ready to give an answer. (1 Peter 3:15) However, we need to take a serious look at our hearts if we are preaching one thing and walking out another. They may have a point, and who knows, that God is not using them to call us up to answer that higher standard and to be accountable, not only to the hope inside of us and our personal relationship with Christ, but that we are walking out what we believe, which is a mightier testimony than any Bible thumping sermon.
As far as democrats and republicans go? Well, that is simply politics and the only thing I have to say about that is this: As a Christian republican who stands up for her rights and what she believes in, I am still called to speak the truth, BUT IN LOVE! Good grief. Tearing the other side apart from limb to limb will only prove their point. Yes, stand for the truth. Yes, be honest about how you feel and where you stand and what you believe in, but do it in love.
And that brings me to the issue of Christians calling each other out. I hope you hear my heart in this. I believe in accountability. We need it. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to support us on all sides, even if that means coming to us and saying, "I see you are struggling. How can I pray for you? How can I help you?" That hurts sometimes, knowing that others see our failings, and just because it hurts doesn't mean it isn't good for us. The most growth I have made in my life is when another sister or brother has come to me and in love called me out. So, as I continue, understand that I am not talking about helping each other stay accountable in our Christian walk. What I am talking about though, is brothers and sisters in Christ pointing the finger at each other and blaming, calling each other hypocritical, and airing each other's issues out on the public clothes line of criticism. You know what? Let's be honest. On one issue or another, we are all hypocrites! Why? Cause we aren't perfect. None of us are. And before anybody says, "Well, at least I don't go around doing or saying...........", I suggest you take a good long look at your attitude. You may not be a hypocrite in areas that others can see, but I would venture that you may be very hypocritical in your attitude towards others.
Why has this gotten me so hot this morning? Because as I sat and read one more attack someone put on Facebook, I could understand and I could sympathize.......with the attacker. You know what? I could understand their lashing out. I could understand, because I have been there too. I have been the one with the attitude, pointing my finger, and saying "how can they call themselves a Christian and do that or say that or act that way." Yep, I have. And as I found myself sympathizing with the attacker and getting out my finger, I felt convicted. As my hackles raised a bit, I felt God place me in front of the mirror and told me to take a look at myself. He reminded me I can be the same way. Why do I feel a need to call others out on their hypocritical, far from Christian actions and words? Because, I think they ought to pay for their wrong doings, especially when it looks like their actions have simply been swept under the rug, not dealt with, and that they haven't had to pay. That is how we all think isn't it? Isn't that the bigger issue? We want justice and until we see justice done we hang onto this other persons sin and indiscretion. We use it against them every time we get an opportunity. We gossip, we point fingers, sometimes we just blow up in their face. "You should have to pay for that! And how can you call yourself a Christian!?" Church, listen to me! We have become our own worst enemy! How often do we stand like the teachers of the law and the Pharisees in John chapter 8 pointing our fingers, blaming, armed with rocks, ready to pelt the living day lights out of another brother or sister? I challenge myself and anyone reading this, before you open your mouth to blame another brother or sister or spend time ruminating on another's sin, or participate in gossip, go look in the mirror first. Are you free from sin? Have you walked out everything you have preached? Have you ever stumbled? Have you ever fallen? The answer will be yes. And then we must ask ourselves this question: How much grace and forgiveness did we need in our moment of sin? How much grace did we want extended to us?
Galatians 5:13-26 addresses it perfectly: "For ye have been called to liberty, brethren; only do not turn liberty into an opportunity to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; but if ye bite and devour one another, see that ye are not consumed one of another. But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill flesh's lust. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these things are opposed one to the other, that ye should not do those things which ye desire; but if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strifes, jealousies, angers contentions, disputes, schools of opinion, envyings, murders, drunkenesses, revels, and things like these; as to which I tell you before hand, even as I also have said before, that they who do such things shall not inherit God's kingdom. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control: against such things there is no law. But they that are of the Christ have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let us walk also by the Spirit. Let us not become fain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another."
And before we get all spiritual and say, I'm not a drunk or a witch or.....let's stop ourselves and read a bit more carefully the part of this scripture that says angry, jealous, contentious, disputing, and strife causing people don't inherit the Kingdom of God anymore then the drunkard or the witch. Ahem. I hope you see my point.
Let's stop pointing the finger at others and start looking inward a bit more. Yep, they may have sinned, but before we got all hot and bothered about their sin and make sure that everyone else knows about it, let's take a long hard look at our own sin and get just as hot and bothered about that and be willing to air out our own dirty laundry as a way of at least being transparent. If we are really concerned about being Holy people and a Royal Priesthood, then lets remember that starts with each of us personally.
It reminds me of John 21 in which Jesus is speaking to Peter and asks him three times, "Do you love me?" Each time Peter responds with Yes and each time Jesus gives him a task. As the discussion continues, Jesus says to Peter in verse 18: "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go. Now this he said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me!'"
Notice, Peters response to Jesus. It wasn't, "Ok Lord, thanks for sharing with me." It was this: "Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!'"
Notice, how Peter took the attention off of himself and said, "yeah but what about him?" And notice what Jesus did? He looked at Peter and said, "that's none of your business. I told you to follow me!"
I realize this dialogue isn't speaking specifically about sin, but it does demonstrate what we do ALL the time. We like to take the attention off of what God told us to do and go, "Yeah, but what about them? What about their sin? How can they be one of yours and act like that?" Hmmmmm. And you know what Jesus says to us, "None of your business. I said you need to follow me."
As a family of Christ, as a body of Christ, as brothers and sisters, we cannot afford to attack each other anymore. A house fighting against itself cannot stand strong. We are all hypocrites. We have all sinned. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. That is why He came. To Sanctify us and save us from our own depravity. We are all in the same boat here. None of us can stand up and say, "I'm perfect and I have already arrived." None of us can. People are going to sin. They are going to fall. They are going to stumble. I am going to sin. I am going to fall. I am going to stumble. Our actions may not and will not always match up with our words. We are on the same playing field and on the same team. So, instead of beating each other up and killing each other and defeating each other, let's start standing by each other. I didn't say we would condone each others falleness. No, we stand to support each other in loving accountability. What I am saying is, put your rocks down. That person, your brother, your sister, they may have fallen short AND maybe it doesn't look like justice was done or they didn't have to answer for the failure, but so have you and so have I and how God chooses to deal with that person, is none of our business. Let's put our rocks down, bring in the dirty laundry, and go stand in the bathroom of our life and look in the mirror for a bit. Let's turn our gaze inward and when our Heavenly Father gently points out the smudge on our faces, let's get out the washcloth of His Mercy, wet it down with His forgiveness and Grace, and allow Him to make us clean. That way, when we see our brother or sister stumble or fall, we can understand. We can sympathize and compassionately stand beside them. We can pray for them and trust, that just as Christ has dealt with and is continually dealing with our smudges, He will do the same for them.
