Are You a Hypocrite?

 Are You a Hypocrite?

A Word on Hypocrisy

 

 

Calling someone a hypocrite, or saying "Don't judge me", are the sword and shield, which people use to defend their actions. So, let us look at hypocrisy and figure out what is going on.
     First, If a person feels the need to use these terms such as “You’re a hypocrite or don’t judge me”   They should stop for a minute and ask themselves. Who is it that is judging me?  Is it the person outside?  Or is there something deep inside of me, which makes me feel like what I am doing is wrong, so I must blame others?  Which is it?  Why is it there?
     Second, we are all hypocrites to some degree. We often tell our children not to do things that we ourselves have done in the past or currently do. We tell children not to cuss, even when they have heard us cuss. We do it because we do not want little Johnnie to yell something bad at Grandma’s house. We do it because we do not want to hurt Grandma. We are hypocrites.
     Is it wise to say, “Sure Johnnie, you can go out and drink and drive with your high school buddies.  After all, I did it, and I really wouldn’t wanna be a hypocrite.” Then, little Johnnie becomes a drunk and dies in a car wreck 10 years later, because you allowed it, without saying a word.   But, at least you kept your integrity, I guess. Sure Johnnie might do it anyway, but at least you tried to stop him. Parenting in this manner, by letting kids do anything they want to do so we can avoid hypocrisy, would be insane.
     Third, why does hypocrisy always surround moral issues? If we were at a picnic and I told you that someone poisoned the water cooler and I drank from it and got sick. You would call me a hero for protecting you and your family. However, if I told you that being a drunk ruined my life and the lives of many people around me. You would call me a hypocrite and say, “don’t judge!!”  Is it me who is judging you or is it something inside of you, poking at your heart?
     Why are generalizations allowed in hypocrisy? If I say that Jesus died to save us from Hell, and we should turn to Him, confessing Him as Lord, asking Him to save us and work in our lives. I am called a hypocrite because I am a Christian. Not because of anything, I have taught personally, but just because I am a Christian. Are all Christian’s hypocrites?
     A hypocrite is someone who tells people to do things they do not do themselves. Therefore, searching for some other bad thing another person does, in order to make you feel better, does not make the other person a hypocrite. It makes them a sinner like you and me. They are only a hypocrite if it is the same thing you are doing; and if they tell you that you should not do it. For example: a thief telling someone not to steal would be a hypocrite. But, dredging up the fact that your sister cheats on her husband, when she says you’re a drunk, doesn’t make her a hypocrite. It makes her a sinner like you.
     Finally, the hypocrisy of the speaker does not change the truth of the message. If a man is terribly over weight and he points at you with a chicken leg he is eating, and tells you… “You better watch what you eat and eat healthy. Don’t eat too much and make sure you exercise” Is he a hypocrite? Yes! However, his message is true nonetheless.
     God can use many methods to bring a warning or message into our lives. He once used a donkey to tell a prophet he was wrong. We must listen to the message and not look at the messenger. God will often use the foolish things to confound the wise. (1 Cor. 1:25-31) He might use a homeless man to open the eyes of a lawyer. But, what if the lawyer refused to listen, because the man was homeless?
      Calling someone a hypocrite or saying “Don’t Judge Me” is a defense mechanism that Satan has given humans, in order to keep you from escaping his control of your life. It’s quite an ancient phrase and was even used in Sodom against Lot, when he asked the people not to rape the travelers. (Gen. 19:7-9) Ask Jesus to save you and help you. Even saved people can have demonic influences in their lives. Learn to recognize the difference between the demonic and the Holy Spirit. You would be very surprised to learn how many believers listen to a Spirit of Fear, or some other entity and not the Holy Spirit.  Ask the Lord to help.
     Am I saying that we should obey everything that people tell us to do in our lives? No. But, evaluate the message. Do not just discard it because of who the messenger is; because it is very easy to find fault with every messenger. If you cannot find fault with the messenger, then Satan will place many other excuses into your mind or my mind that will work just fine to help us avoid listening and evaluating.
     I am Chris Bunton and I am a hypocrite. I ask God to forgive me, save me and help me to overcome. Now, how about you?

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Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ His newest book is called "The Future is Coming" and is a collection of dystopian short stories.

Follow Him on Medium: https://chris-bunton.medium.com/

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 Photo by the Author, The Ceiling of The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.