“a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs
about what is right but who behaves in a way that
disagrees with those beliefs” (Webster)
I can’t tell you the number of times this has been the reason given to the question about becoming a Christian. Countless. But that’s focusing on the human component, us, and not the eternal one, Jesus. He wasn’t a hypocrite so why look to frail man instead? Probably because WE are His visible examples in the world. And what does that say about who we are as Christians?
I would suspect that we all are hypocrites at times, though this doesn’t excuse. Though the ‘everyone’ does it excuse doesn’t work, we do use it – to excuse our own behavior. I’d like to challenge the ‘everyone does it’ excuse. Simply because ‘everyone’ may be true doesn’t mean that you have to succumb to the failing.
A serious question for us is, if we are the stumbling block for others then we need to serious look at what we are doing – our words and behaviors, but especially our actions. Romans (14:13) and 1 Corinthians (8:9) both talk about how we can be stumbling stones for others and acting hypocritical is definitely a stumbling stone.
We all need to realize that there is so much we don’t know or understand about being a Christian. It is no shame to say – ‘I don’t know…’ or ‘I don’t understand either…’ Whether an unbeliever or a new Christian, this ‘lack’ can be an impetus for mutual growth when you ask them to join you in making the discovery for understanding. You can model for others that you too are still growing, still becoming; that none of us has all the answers.
My point is that though we may act hypocritical, we don’t need to continue this type of behavior. I don’t believe we are ever surprised when we are ‘caught’ in this divisive behavior. But we can bemore. We really are better than this… just not by ourselves, we need the help of the Lord and He is more than willing. We can acknowledge this and seek to change. We are able. Look at ‘slipping’ times as wake up calls helping you to continue the change.
