When You Stumble in Your Christian Walk [Are You a Hypocrite?]

There are parts of many days when I feel a bit like a hypocrite. As in someone who is not acting in accordance to who they profess to be. 

• I profess in the hope of Christ yet at times feel hopeless.
• I list daily joy dares (thanks to Ann Voskamp for the inspiration) but dissolve in tears in the privacy of my shower.
• I support others in their worth as children of God yet give into feelings of inadequacy in the face of failures or setbacks. 
• I encourage the acceptance and extension of God’s grace but resort to yelling, snipping, and belittling when overwhelmed.
• I declare the harmful effects of comparison yet turn green with envy over another sister’s success. 
• I exhort those suffering to lean on the Lord but often turn to prayer as a last resort when hurting myself. 
• I profess to be a lover of Jesus, a Christian first and foremost, yet find myself keeping Him on the fringes of my life instead of front and center. 

In a nutshell, I say I am a Christian, but fail to live up to the perfection of Christ. I suppose some could see this as hypocritical. 

Christianity offers Jesus Christ as the standard, not other Christians.

Christianity offers Jesus Christ as the standard, not other Christians. Share on X

When You Stumble

But our failure to be like Christ is the point of Christianity, isn’t it? That’s the reason for Jesus’ horrendous death on the cross, right? Our need for forgiveness, redemption, and salvation drives our decision to embrace the Savior.

We profess to be Christians because we want to be sinless like Jesus, not because we already are.

We profess to be Christians because we want to be sinless like Jesus, not because we already are. Share on X

When I profess my allegiance to Jesus Christ, I’m admitting I’m a poor, miserable sinner—that I can’t clean up on my own. 

I’m a fallen human being, who realizes the depth of her depravity, and wants to be Christlike in all areas.

If I could follow the 10 Commandments perfectly, if I could love purely, if I could live righteously, what purpose would Jesus’ sacrifice serve? I could claim perfection and stand exposed in front of God on my own merits with no hesitancy. 

But I follow Jesus (imperfectly to be sure) because I realize my need for Him to present me as righteous before a Holy God. 

 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Some day, when I find myself in the throne room of heaven, I’ll never feel hopeless, never yell or belittle, and never be envious; I‘ll always be joyful, always feel worthy, and worship and praise God continuously. 

But today, my failures, my feelings of inadequacy, are reminders of my desperate need for Our Savior and the amazing gift He gives called grace.

Jesus is the only one who has never said He was somebody He wasn’t. He is the only perfect one. 

That’s exactly why we should be grateful for and humbled by grace. Because of grace, we don’t have to strive to be perfect, we don’t have to try to earn our way into the Kingdom of heaven, we don’t have to feel like a hypocrite.

The work has all been done for us—by the love of Christ. And I expect, like me, you are  a Christian because you recognize the need to have this work completed for you.

Are You a Hypocrite?

As Christians, it boils down to, Do I love Jesus? Do I acknowledge my need for Him and desire to have Him do a work of redemption in my life?

There’s nothing hypocritical about that, even when our performance is less than stellar.

So when someone accuses you, as a lover and follower of Jesus Christ, of being a hypocrite (or you wonder yourself), you can graciously acknowledge that to claim we don’t need a Savior is actually the definition of hypocritical.

Because then we’re claiming righteousness on our own merits, and that’s not possible for any of us.  

If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

Reflection: What has been your experience with the accusation that Christians are hypocrites? Have you wondered about it yourself? 

Linking up again this year with Ann Voskamp’s 2014 Joy Dare. Find the linkup at A Holy Experience. Beginning where I left off in 2013. What a blessing! #2651–2671, read the entire list by clicking here.

• Whistling of my tea pot at the end of a long day; Prompted to reach out to a friend; A deliberate move to calmer evenings
• Lazy talks with friends; Trail of 30+ deer crossing the lake; Being whisked away to a new time and place in a great story 
• Stars shining bright in the dark sky; Photo-editing software for “dummies”–me!; A few minutes to spend with Zach
• Simple pleasures like a quiet evening; Improving my frisbee playing with Joey; The smiles Winnie the Pooh & anything kitty bring to Rach 
• A weekend free to visit Grandma Ruth; Robins swarming on the lawn; A walk with hubby in the warm afternoon
• Successful surgery to mend nephew Ethan’s broken leg; Best sister-in-laws ever; Playing several wild games of Spoons
• Captivated by childhood stories of Mom-in-law; Quiet bonding and rambunctious connecting with my 12-year-old; Gaggle of geese “honking” from across the lake