James 1:22 (NIV)
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Let me come full circle here – in as much as I promote Christian activities and engagements, I’m usually that girl who will opt to join virtually unless I am left without that option. My personal relationship and standing with God is so important to me that the natural me will prefer to recluse myself from engagements especially in settings where I see so much hypocrisy. Yup – if I don’t see something or hear it then I’m free of reprove from the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, the places where we are supposed to encounter God have become places where we encounter bad behavior. Someone once described the church to me as a hospital where some patients are responding well to treatments and others are not. I told him if that is the case, then it looks like the doctors are administering the wrong medications and I will not want to be on their ‘clinical trials’ – we both laughed.
I think we (believers) take God for granted in our churches. Or maybe we just take His mercy and grace for granted but still think we love Him? I get very disturbed in my spirit when I encounter people who are supposedly followers of Christ but have no sense of reverence for Him. They like the idea of religious activities and processes but clearly lack the form and being of who a true follower of Christ is. James 1:22 emphasizes that true faith in Christ, which is the essence of our christian life, is demonstrated through actions, not just outward appearances or superficial adherence to religious practices. When Christians proclaim their faith but fail to live according to God’s commandments, we risk being seen as hypocritical, undermining our witness to others.
I’m in no way saying I’m perfect but there are things I will not dare do in the house of God or even think of doing to anyone let alone God’s people. I fear God that much and He knows that I’ll rather mess up on my own outside His church than ever bring my mess close to His house or people. I know, it sounds crazy but that’s me. God does not give me sleep when I don’t do what is right and He knows I like to test His patience to the core – it’s my personal relationship with Him and you don’t get to comment on it my friend. Well, He also makes sure I bear the consequences of all my actions but He does it in love – as a Father who is very principled as well and does not bend His nature for anyone, even me, His spoilt child.
Why am I writing this? The hypocrisy of believers in the house of God is unbecoming and it’s worse that people outside the christian sects are the ones to even call us out. We can be so focused on outward appearances of righteousness but we are desecrating the house of God. If we are not the culprits ourselves, then we are enabling others to and fostering toxicity in the house of God. When the spirit of God does not convict you anymore as a believer – then you should know He has calmly left you in your seared consciousness. For those who like to quote Romans 5:20 to abuse the grace of God please remember to read Romans 6:1 as well.
Unbelievers do not bear the burden of religious pretenses and, therefore, are sometimes perceived as more authentic in their actions and rightly so. The challenge for Christians is to demonstrate sincerity which is lacking in most Christian sects today. The hypocrisy of some is inadvertently tarnishing the reputation of the churches and hindering others from experiencing the transformative power of God’s love. It is very imperative for us believers to examine our hearts daily and strive for authenticity so that our lives genuinely reflect Christ’s character and attract others to His message of salvation. Genuine faith and integrity mean living in alignment with Christ’s teachings from the heart. When Christians fail to do so, we risk being judged by non-Christians and lose our witness for Christ.
I pray that this week, we will all do an internal review of our hearts as believers and turn back to our first love – Christ. Really become the image of Him to the world and to each other. Let it be so with the help of the Holy Spirit. AMEN!
XOXO,
Lady Abena.