Seatbelts, Living and Hypocrisy

When our girls were small they would often be found in the backseat of our car exclaiming "hypocrite", with great zeal and delight. It was almost a game to catch their father who was careful to make sure they were safely buckled in, but often slow in ensuring this wise action for himself. The girls had learned that is was a good decision to buckle your seat belts in the car. It was safer, it was a lesson that was caught. On the other hand their father who spoke of the safety of seat belt buckling, would often get too busy or distracted to practice what he preached. Thus the girls were quick to cry out when they caught their daddy practicing hypocrisy.

I was thinking of this game of long ago and yet the challenge for all of us to be real. We often feel good about ourselves because we are talking the good talk, but not living it as well. This hypocrisy is something that runs deep in all of us. Personally, I have noticed it in other people who would say the right things, but than their actions spoke of something else entirely. It confused me and often hurt me as well. I realized I needed to pay more attention to the walk than the talk.

This walking has been something I have been focusing on in my own life. I want to be a person of integrity, not a hypocrite, I must reflect what I speak. Paying attention more to my actions, is part of this battle. I must do this honestly and therein I find not such a pretty picture. For where I have been quick to notice another lacks honesty in their life, I've been blind to my own. God have mercy on us all!

Our daughters as young as they were, identified their dad not living what he professed. It was obvious. In their youthful eyes they spoke what was true rather than what their daddy proclaimed and they rightly called out "hypocrite"! I am examining my own hypocrisy in expecting others to live what is right, when I haven't done such a good job of being honest about who I am.

I am honestly, struggling. I am honestly, challenged by the claims of Christ. I am honestly working through who I am, uniquely made reflecting God. I am honestly working against the pressure to morph myself to those around me. In other words, not being conformed to the world. To not be a hypocrite, I must be who I am. Honestly. Owning all of me and taking responsibility for all my quirks, uniqueness, joys and flaws, interests and delights this is what it means to be real. This real living is why Christ came, to enable us to live freely in the gospel of no longer slaves, no longer condemned, no longer under bondage, but free to be the unique, one of a kind person we are that God loves. God rejoices and revels as we freely express ourselves in the goodness and grace of what is true and this in turn reflects the truth of God.

God loves us, each one of us, different, complex, multi-colored, multi-ethnic, and multi-faceted. God is glorified when we are faithful to who we are and stop trying to conform ourselves to those around us. If we mimic someone else, we glorify them and not God. If we speak words that are good, but our actions cry out something quite different; we again glorify a life filled with lies instead of what is true.

Today, if you had two young children in your back seat, would they be crying out hypocrite or would they be comforted by their observations of a life lived demonstrated in accordance to what has been spoken? Think about it with me.