No one likes a hypocrite. Someone who holds everyone else to a moral standard but whose own behavior doesn’t line up with what they preach. Sadly, it’s all too easy to have double standards and normally without realising there is any inconsistency between our actions and our words.
Pot calling the kettle black
In the Bible Jesus spoke about hypocrisy and warned against it. In the book of Matthew He said:
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, “Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,” when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye.
Watch out for blind spots
It’s easy to see the faults in others and consider them lacking but it’s much harder to see your own blind spots. It takes a lot of self-awareness to realise you are failing to live up to the standards you expect others to stick to or that you aren’t living in line with the things you say.
If you’re worried that you may be living hypocritically, here are a few ways you can address the problem and begin practicing what you preach.
Admit you are wrong: The first step to fixing any issue is identifying that there is a problem in the first place. If you can admit you hold others to standards that you don’t live up to yourself you are half way to becoming a person who is fair and balanced in their treatment of those around them.
Avoid gossip: For some reason, hypocrisy and gossip seem to go hand in hand. It’s a short step from discussing someone else’s character and life choices to judging them for not being a better person. In the process of picking through someone else’s actions it’s all too easy to make hypocritical judgments.
Be slow to pass judgment: Snap judgments based on hearsay or sketchy details are never a good move. Instead of jumping to conclusions wait until you have a clear picture of the facts, or better still don’t pass judgment at all.
Remember you’re not perfect: We all fall short of perfection. You may have your life together on some levels but behind the scene everyone needs a bit of help or at least to be shown a measure of grace. If you’re tempted to be critical, try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt.
Know what you believe: The easiest way to avoid hypocrisy is to be 100% certain about what you believe and stick to it. Until you figure out where you stand on an issue, hold your tongue. Take a little time to really consider what it is you hold to be important and true. When you know what that is, make sure you stick to is.
It’s not just about you
The author Brennan Manning once wrote:
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
The trouble with hypocrisy is that others can usually see it before we do and it has the power to steal not only our own integrity but also the credibility of that which we stand for and believe in. Be slow to judge and careful to walk out the word you speak.