HYPOCRITES

I have been hearing so much hate lately, bashing our President, governor, etc. and it has just been really weighing on my mind. Here we are, in the midst of a crisis, a pandemic, that no one living within this century has been through before…and suddenly, everyone and their brother "knows it all", and has a better resolution than our leaders. I guarantee they have spent many hours in meetings, perhaps sleepless nights, trying to figure out what to do for our Nation; hopefully they have even prayed about their decisions. They are doing everything they can, within their power, to try and control something that they know so little about. So how about instead of speaking so much hate, pause and lift our leaders up in prayer. Pray that they have the wisdom to know which decision to make, to help us get through this time.

Regardless of what decisions are made, it is impossible to please mankind. Why are humans such assholes?  This makes me think of the 2017 bashing of Joel Olsteen, when he decided not to open his church in Houston to the Harvey hurricane Victims. Without even thinking, people were bashing him left and right calling him a hypocrite, and just bashing Christians in general. I guarantee he prayed long and hard about his decision. I am a fan of Joel’s preaching, which caused me to be called out on his actions. I was speechless; I didn’t know what to say. But, I’ve since had a lot of time to think about it.

The bible says that EVERYONE is born with a distinct talent or gift that sets us apart from others. Whether that be a leader, public speaker, healer, counselor, seamstress, teacher, athlete…everyone has control over their own God given talent to use it to the fullest, if they so choose. Joel is gifted, no doubt. He is a great public speaker/deacon/leader/counselor/teacher/healer. I don’t know about you, but he speaks healing to my soul and is easy to listen to.  1 Peter 4:10-11 says “each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever”. 

Joel does just that. He was definitely called to teach others about God and lead them to salvation. He is NOT Jesus. He was not sent by God to save the world, or find a solution for everything. But I know you are thinking, but how can someone who claims to be a Christian turn away those in need of help? Aren’t Christians supposed to help others? So here is my thought. Say Joel opened his church to thousands misplaced by the hurricane. You have thousands of people, of all kinds, in close quarters. There may be illness among these people that may spread like wildfire in cramped quarters. There may be people who don’t see eye to eye, or who may be under the influence of drugs/alcohol and not in their right minds, causing fights to break out. Someone may become injured...and then what? A lawsuit? Suddenly everything you worked so hard to build becomes nothing because of these people who chose to act so ungodly; who got hurt and want to sue the property owner because he has money and they want to get out of him anything they can for their own personal gain. No wonder 1 Timothy 6:10 warns that the love of money is the root of all evil.

People are so sue happy now days it is absolutely sickening. Just recently our church was attempted to be sued by someone they were helping. Just because you are a Christian/good person, doesn’t mean others are. Often non-christians are out to destroy Christians…the bible even warns that "good will be seen as evil and evil as good"; and Joel is a prime example of this. Joel may be a millionaire, but does that make him a bad person? How does that make him less of a Christian? Joel has used his money to build a very large church that can hold up to 16,800 people. That’s 16,800 opportunities to spread the word of God and preach healing. He used his money to be a blessing to others by spreading the word of God, to heal, and lead people to salvation. All of that could have ended in a blink of an eye , all it takes is one person set out to destroy someone...and the world is FULL OF THEM! I have no doubt Joel was faced with a very difficult decision that day. I have no doubt that he prayed about it, lost sleep over it, and probably questioned himself a hundred times if he was making the right decision or not. 

Regardless of what he chose to do, he would have been criticized by mankind either way….much like our president is today. Romans 8:31 says “as long as you know that God is for you, it doesn’t matter who is against you.” So the question is, do you listen to the demands of man, or do you pray about it, asking God to lead you to make the right decision? The bible doesn’t say to trust man. The bible says over and over to love man and trust God. Psalm 118:8 says “it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man”. Joel obviously did not seem like the"perfect christian", and just like any human, he’s not always going to be able to help everyone. I think that this, and our current situation with COVID-19, should be a reminder not to judge people for the choices they have to make....especially when you don’t know the options they had to choose from. PRAY for our leaders, for our pastors, for our doctors…they need it more now than ever before.

I by no means am trying to portray myself to be a perfect Christian either, and I certainly hope no one reading this is assuming that I think that I am. I love Jesus…but I cuss a little, or a lot (depending on who’s judging me). I know that I am not perfect, and that is why I need Jesus. Matter of fact, there is no such thing as a perfect Christian….anyone who claims to be is a hypocrite. Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There is not a single person alive who has not disobeyed one of the 10 commandments…and just when you think that you have been following them all, James 4:17 says “it is a sin to know what you ought to do, and then not do it”. BOOM. I bet every person proclaiming to be perfect now realizes they aren’t. If not, how about 2 Timothy 3:1-5? It says “in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power”. THAT pretty much sums up all of mankind!! So, if NO ONE is perfect, and everyone falls short of the glory of God…then why do non-christians ridicule Christians so much?

I’m always hearing people say “I don’t go to church because it’s full of hypocrites”. Is church not a place made for sinners to go to be saved? I think the problem is that there are a lot of false Christians out there who have created a misconception of what church is. People assume it’s a place with a pedestal for perfect Christians to go and worship God. Don’t let these false Christians stop you from your own salvation. 1 John 2:1 says “your salvation can be lost because of something you do, or don’t do.” You will be surprised to learn about some of God’s chosen people in the bible. Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah was a drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Sara was impatient, not trusting God would give to her what he promised….yet, God blessed them all. 1 Corinthians 1:229 says “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called". If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). To repent is to seek forgiveness and do better (not keep repeating the same sins). Romans 8:38 says “you are not defined by your mistakes; you are defined by God. He loves you know matter what". Read that again. NO-MATTER-WHAT. 

It may be really hard and uncomfortable going somewhere where you feel judged, or not good enough…but remember to whom you belong. The church was originally designed for sinners. Are you going for man, or for God? 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God.” Just know that a church full of “perfect” Christians is not a church for God, but of man. Who says you have to go to church anyway? There is nothing in the bible that says to be a Christian you have to go to church. It says to be the church. Set an example by acting Christ like. Talking crap on so and so because they are prettier, smarter, or more successful than you definitely isn’t very Christian like. Sadly, I know a lot of “Christians” like this. No wonder envy is a sin…it truly rules and ruins so many peoples lives. How about instead of feeling in competition with your “neighbor”, or your child’s friends mom, wishing that they’d fail so you would look like the better person, that you pray for them?

Despite how you feel toward christians, I guarantee that MOST Christians pray for you during your struggle, without you even knowing it. They are rooting for you, praying healing and peace over you. I can’t even count how many people and/or strangers I have prayed for in my lifetime…it’s kind of the human thing to do (to want others to be well and succeed). Some of these “hypocrite Christians” (like Joel the millionaire) have prayed endlessly about all that they have now. I know for myself, and my family, we have sacrificed so much to be where we are today. Athletically talented people train night and day to be where they are… yet they are criticized, torn down as if they assume that they are “better” than everyone else because of their achievements. God gave them the talent, and they chose to use it to the fullest. If they are rooting for you, then why is it so hard for you to be happy about their accomplishments?

Being a Christian is hard. It certainly is not popular. You are talked bad about, called hypocrites because of the actions of some “false Christians" (as if we’re all the same). But the bible says "pray for those who mistreat you. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, it is mine to avenge, I will repay says the Lord". I think that’s what man must mean by “karma”. Matthew 6:14-15 says “if you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your father will not forgive your sins.” And Leviticus 19:18 says "do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.

Maybe you aren’t sure if there is a God; let me say this….if you have never read the bible, Matthew, Mark and Luke are some of the many chapters who repeat themselves….telling the same story, but in different words. Is this not proof that Jesus existed? Multiple people are retelling the same stories of what they heard/saw. Some of the stories in the bible are hard to believe…Jonah was swallowed by a whale and survived? Moses parted the red sea after following instructions from God to flee the Egyptians? Jesus, a healer and peacemaker, was so hated that he was crucified on a cross and rose from the dead on the third day…just as he said he would!?! All of that sounds like someone drank a little too much wine; but, since it is repeated throughout the bible by different people who witnessed it, is that not proof that it happened? I personally would rather live my life believing there is a God only to find out that there isn’t, than to live life as if there isn’t, and die to find out there is. Hebrew 11:6 says “without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”...and John 20:29 says “blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”

What our nation needs right now is for Christians and non-christians to come together and be in peace with one another, not judging, but lifting each other up. If your neighbor doesn’t have toilet paper, give them a roll or two. Perhaps you have fallen on hard times and can’t help out anyone financially…you don’t have to have money to be a blessing to someone. If someone thinks otherwise, maybe they aren’t worthy of your help. But who are we to decide who is worthy and who is not worthy?

As an imperfect Christian, the first time I saw someone wearing pajamas to church, appearing to be on some sort of drugs, I was taken back. I was sitting in church staring and judging these people, thinking did you even try to be presentable? Immediately I asked God to forgive me of my thoughts. Who am I to be sitting in church judging these people? What if those people were homeless and the only clothes they had were the dirty looking pajamas they had on? Do you think Jesus would have singled them out in the crowd he was preaching to and say “you, in the pajamas, you aren’t worthy of my preaching because you aren’t dressed appropriately, go, leave now!”…absolutely not! I guaranteed he would have called them to him and helped them. I can’t say with 100% certainly that these people were under the influence of drugs, but it certainly appeared that way (based on their appearance and movements). But who am I to judge? Are these not the people who need God the most? Aren’t these the people we should be calling to church and praying for the most…rooting for them in their recovery?

I, as an imperfect Christian, have also really struggled with homosexuality. I find it gross, and as a former Baptist, I was raised that it is wrong. Now days, I know quite a few of these people, and all of them are genuine, nice people. I have really wrestled with my beliefs, feeling should I befriend these people because they aren’t living a lifestyle that I can approve of? After all, 1 Corinthians 15:33 says “do not be misled, bad company corrupts good character”….bad company? Some of these people were some of the kindest, most selfless people I have ever met in my life...better than many “false Christians” that I know! Perhaps my feelings are because of how I was raised. So I decided to turn to the bible myself. I wanted to know what the bible really said. Yes, in the Old Testament there was stoning of these people; but, that was before Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins. What I did find in the bible was this “do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”. So who am I to judge? My husband said it to me best…if it was your son, would you stop loving him because he was gay? And my answer? Absolutely not! Honestly, I don’t know how anyone could disown their own child! Yes, you can be extremely disappointed in them, but, real love doesn’t just stop. But really, who are we to judge? We are not God.

At judgment God isn’t going to ask you to account for the sins of others, he’s going to ask you about the life that YOU lived and the sins YOU committed. I know that daily I am trying to become a better person than I was yesterday, and sometimes that includes letting people go who are holding you back, or are a bad influence. I feel that everyone comes into our lives for a reason, to teach us a lesson, or guide us a long the way, to help us live the life that was chosen for us...but not everyone is meant to stay.

I have definetly grown so much as a Christian over the last 10 years…and I don’t need anyone’s approval or applause for that. But being a Christian is hard, and certainly not popular. But I have to remind myself daily, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. I have turned away from so many people because of their constant gossip, or because they never have anything good to say about anyone, or anything….or from some who's life style I just don't want for myself or my family. I certainly don’t feel I am any better than any of these people, and I definitely don’t feel any bad feelings or hate in my heart toward them…I just know the person I am trying to become (for myself), and it’s hard to become that person when constantly tempted. It is so easy to jump in and talk down on someone...especially if you are mad at them….and sometimes (like at work) it is so hard to avoid!!

Just remember, there is NO such thing as a perfect Christian (we are all human). Matthew 11:28 says "even the strongest of us have moments when the burdens of life seem too great. It's then that the Lord whispers comes to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." NEVER stop praying!! Pray not only for your friends/family, but for your enemies, leaders, teachers, preachers, those who wish for you to fail. The greatest commandments in the bible are “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “love your neighbor as yourself”. So, even if our president “isn’t your president”…he is technically your neighbor/brother in Gods eyes. Even if you don’t claim to be a Christian, it costs NOTHING to be a decent human being. If you feel singled out or offended by anything I have to say, perhaps that is God asking you to reevaluate the life you are living. After all, there is a reason we are plagued with a pandemic right now. Maybe this is God’s way of slowing life down so people have time to think, to reconnect, to reach out to him, to repent, to spend time with those who were meant to matter (a.k.a your family) that have been pushed aside because you are too busy chasing money and following idols. Coincidence? I think not. And just remember, before you judge others (good people or bad)…remember that it is a sin to judge and hold others lower than you. No one owes anyone an explanation for their actions, or to account for the actions of other Christians. Remember to whom you belong. Leave it to God. Be in peace, living your own life. Do not concern yourself with the life of others…it is not the life God has created for you. Strive to become all that God created YOU to be.

P.S....i' m totally in love with this song! <3

https://youtu.be/8f1hiY-cciM