deadly poison

Hypocrite: a person who engages in the behaviors he condemns in others.  Aren't we all hypocrites? What do you condemn in others? Do you ever look at others through your eyes & think... I would never do that. Maybe you've been hurt by hypocrisy. Authenticity is a quality to be valued. I was a  youth leader for 8 years. I learned early on in the journey that teens can sense hypocrisy. If you want to be used by God, be an open book.

Being an open book has made my life more consistent. I want my words & my actions to match. I want to be the same person to those who know me. I don't mean I can't have unique relationships with each of them, but I hope they all see the same qualities in me. I hope that my friends & family know the same person. I hope that I am who I think I am. I don't want the mirror to lie to me. I don't want the image I've created on FB to reflect someone else.

Have you ever overheard a conversation about yourself? Ever walked in the room & it became awkwardly quiet? Maybe you've been told what somebody else thought of you? Now you know what they really think. Worse yet, have others been told what you thought of them? Did you wish you could eat your words? Ever regretfully send your text to the wrong person? Now they know what you really think.

I think it's safe to say, we've all had our words come back to bite us. The guilt/remorse isn't worth the clout gained by saying those words. Sometimes we learn the hard way. What we say costs us a relationship, a job, an opportunity... Simple rule of thumb: if you cannot say something helpful, don't say it at all. If what you are about to say begins with No offense, but... It's best not to say it. Those words are often designed to offend & they probably will. If you're having second thoughts about what you are about to say, better to err on the side of saying nothing.

I believe that what comes out of a person's mouth is a measure of what's in his heart. Sometimes people say things they didn't mean to say, but you can't help but ask, Is that what they really think? At times, I even have to ask that question of myself:  Where did that thought originate? The Bible says it is humanly impossible to tame the tongue & even refers to the tongue as deadly poison. Perhaps the only way to begin to tame my tongue is to examine my heart...


Am I an open book or do I feel a need to hide behind an image I'm desperately trying to portray?  That's exhausting! I have observed many young people in my lifetime. I believe one of the saddest moments is when he/she actually becomes the person he/she worked so hard to create. I believe that's one of the dangers in dabbling in hypocrisy. Instead of becoming who you were created to be... you become the person you created.