Don't Be a Hypocrite - Devotional

Read This: “Why do you see the speck in your own eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)

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Think: One of the hardest parts of parenting is being an example of the person we want our children to become. The same can be true in all our relationships, though. Are we being an example of the person God calls us to be? Are we being an example of Jesus?

This video gave us some pretty extreme examples of hypocrisy; we might watch and find comfort in the fact that at least we’re not that bad. But hypocrisy isn’t just in our behavior, it's also in our attitude. It’s so easy to have higher expectations for others than we do for ourselves.

We all struggle with bad attitudes at times. We complain about the weather, the economy, work, or even our own kids.

Sometimes we all have trouble submitting to authority. Are we respecting and submitting to the authorities God has placed in our lives? Our bosses at work, the leadership at church, and our government are all in positions of authority over us. Are we speaking respectfully towards them, even if we don’t agree?

The truth is we are all sinners, but the question is, are we OK with being a hypocrite? We cannot hide our hearts from God.

Ask: Spend some time reflecting on the areas in your life that you want to be a better example. Do you need to confess your failures of hypocrisy to people in your life and ask for their forgiveness?

Pray: Thank God for allowing you to learn from your mistakes. Ask Him to convict you of sin and hypocrisy in your own life, and to transform you from the inside out. May His goodness, grace, and mercy overflow from your heart into the lives around you.