When Others Point Out Our Hypocrisy

How do you feel when you hear someone outside the church talking about the hypocrisy in the church? Have you had people point out your own hypocrisy? It can feel like a real attack. The temptation, as with any attack, is to defend.

Right in the middle of Jonah’s rollercoaster ride on the stormy sea we get this great picture of the pagan sailors calling out Jonah on his hypocrisy:

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) - Jonah 1:7-10

Sometimes what we say we believe does not match up with our lives. And even though we hate it, it’s actually God’s gift to us when those on the outside call us on it. Yes, it can hurt. Yes, it can be offensive. Yes, it feels embarrassing. And yet…

Often God seems to use those who don’t believe to call us believers on the carpet. What would it take for you to shift your response and say instead, “Thank you for pointing out my hypocrisy - that’s a real problem that I need to deal with.” That sounds pretty hard doesn’t it? And yet that’s basically what Jonah does.

Who is God putting in your life to hold you to the standards you say you believe? Can you give thanks for them? (Or at least try to be open to them?)