When I really became serious about my faith and made God my number one priority, there were people who would question it. Or use my mistakes as ammunition to bring me down.
I hated when people would make judgments about me based off of past mistakes. I knew where my heart was, but I was still concerned with the opinions of others. I was hurt because I was giving everything to Christ and nobody seemed to notice. I knew I had changed, and hated when people couldn't see past the old mistakes. Nothing was worse than when I would get insulted for writing a blog...it was like nobody could see the new me.
I haven't been perfect the whole time I have wrote this either. It's been two years now and almost 600 posts. I bet that every one of those days I have lived since I have started writing I have made a mistake. But, everyone one of those days I knew my heart and so did Christ.
I was able to get over those mistakes because of God's awesome forgiveness. God sees my heart-not other people.
I was getting caught up in giving other people the power to look at my heart, when they didn't have the ability to understand it. Why give others the power to do something that they are incapable of?
There are four signs of hypocrisy that are written about in Luke chapter 12:
1. Hypocrisy is knowing the truth but not obeying it...People can say they follow Jesus but not be obedient to his Word.
2. Hypocrisy is living a self-serving life...People may desire leadership only because they love position and control, not because they want to serve others.
3. Hypocrisy reduces faith to rigid rules...People end up worshipping their own rules and regulations about what they think God wants instead of worshipping God himself.
4. Hypocrisy is outward conformity without inner reality...People can obey the details but still be disobedient in general behavior.
I want you carefully look at your life. You are not perfect; therefore, at times an action or behavior might provide the ammunition for someone to label you a hypocrite. However, you must discern your own heart. Consider the signs of hypocrisy noted above and make sure you are not guilty. Then ask God to help you live rightly.
When you remember that you must discern your heart and not allow others to do it, everything changes. You stop worrying about others, you are more confident, and you are more aware of what God is doing.
I encourage you to really remember this post. It's so incredibly important to not give other people the power of you. God rules over all. Never forget that.
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