Hypocrisy From A Hypocrite (or Just Another Nut Talking!)

I am a hypocrite.

For so many reasons that I don’t care to mention, it’s what I am. Right now, in this moment, I’m a hypocrite for calling you one for calling out other people as hypocrites. The irony is tangible. This will probably go down in the decades, years, umm, months of blogging as a “rant”. I can live with that. I’m just a little tired of all the people who love to assess a person, group or situation without first looking at themselves so that maybe they might choose their words wisely or wisely just shut up! Again, I know I’m just as guilty and probably more so.

Doing drugs doesn’t mean you don’t know it’s wrong, and that you can’t be against it. Let’s stop that nonsense right now. Many alcoholics are extremely aware of their struggles and those with families do hope better for them. You want to call them out as hypocrites? Fine. But understand, the reason why they may be speaking up is because they know the hardship and struggle and pain it’s caused. They have a clarity others don’t and that clarity often is wasted because of their own guilty feelings. If they do have the nerve to speak, the hypocrite card gets thrown out at them. And let’s be honest,shall we? That card is not really used for the purpose of simply calling someone out, but because you don’t like the particular point of view.  Hey, I’m guilty as charged here.

My mother smoked, A LOT. She was one of those people who would fall asleep with a cigarette in her hand. This didn’t stop her from trying to prevent my siblings from smoking, though she probably felt handcuffed by the “hypocrite” label. Most of us that know we are hypocrites, don’t need someone declaring it from the mountaintops for all the world to hear. We are our own worst critics. We already know what we are. We also aren’t asking to be excused for it either. But maybe you might consider your own life and if you’ve ever been in a position that caused you to speak on something despite a pounding moment of clarity that you know you don’t live up to the standards you just relayed to someone in conversation. I have been the fat guy telling other fat guys how to exercise and lose weight and I’ve been the “skinnier” guy being told by the guy whose girth exceeded my own, “if you just have one slice a pizza a day for lunch, you’d still lose weight”

So here’s the end game to my rant. If you’ve ever done anything wrong, you are probably and most definitely a hypocrite. If your standards have risen to a higher level as an adult and you hold your children to that higher level, even when you fell flat as a child in obeying your parents. That’s cool. Still… You’re a hypocrite. If as a citizen you agreed to obey the laws of the land, including the traffic laws, then you, I and everyone else are hypocrites.

How about we try something new?

Grace..

Grace that doesn’t excuse behavior but considers it in light of our own failings. Grace that doesn’t agree with someone but also doesn’t look for an excuse to AHA them because you don’t agree. Grace is giving something to someone who probably doesn’t deserve anything in that moment, but you give it to them anyway.

How about we try?   Mercy..

Mercy that holds back harsh words, even when it appears to be called for. Mercy that says this opinion and behavior deserves to be punished, but we remember the times mercy was given to us. Mercy that calls for a conversation instead of accusations. Mercy that calls for hope instead of despair.

This was intended to be a rant on the hypocrisy of the hypocritical hypocrites who call people out as hypocrites, but I can’t end it there. Everyone of us is a hypocrite in one way or another. Everyone one of us has been thought of as a hypocrite by someone, even if not outwardly called it. On some level it’s a true statement. It’s also true that we have shown and been shown grace and mercy to others and by others.

And this is the greatest fact:

No one does this better than mankind’s Savior. He still pours out more grace and mercy to the whole wretched lot of us for our sinful, hypocritical ways. No one gets this more than those that know they have to speak in desperation to another, knowing the path that led them there is the reason they feel so desperate for them. Jesus stood as a sacrifice for us, taking what we deserve,  giving us back everything we don’t deserve, beginning with hope for each day. 

I apologize if my post today came across overly hypocritical.

God bless you this day