Overcoming Hypocrisy

Since we have identified several of the problems we face as followers of Jesus, I thought it would be a good idea to actually go through them and look for answers. As I mentioned yesterday, one of the perceptions nonbelievers have of us is that we are hypocrites. So, how can we live in such a way as to not be hypocritical? I think I’ve discovered a few answers.

In Matthew 23, Jesus is pronouncing misery upon the religious elite. When Jesus is speaking to the crowds about the Pharisees, he says in verse 3 that they “do not practice what they preach.” He goes further by saying in verse 4 that they “tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” If we just take these two statements, we can gather two life lessons.

The first step for us is to not preach what we do not practice. In other words, it is not enough to “say” we believe something; the real proof is in how we live. How often do we quote the words of Jesus to others without first examining whether we do those things ourselves? If I do not want to be a hypocrite, then I must first let my life do my preaching.

The second step is in Jesus condemnation of the burdens that the Pharisees place on the shoulders of others. Love desires what is best for those it loves. If I love someone, I want what is best for them – not what is best for me. The Pharisees would make grand pronouncements about the sinfulness of others, but they were not willing to involve themselves in helping them to change. If we are going to live honestly, then we must be willing to help others to become more like Christ – not just tell them that they should.

There is more to say about this, but again, we are looking for truths to live. Today (and for the rest of life) our challenge is let our lives declare what we believe (and they already do) and to involve ourselves in the lives of others. These are the first steps to overcoming hypocrisy.