I wonder, at times, why it is so difficult for us to believe in people. We put so much faith into humans, especially pastors and leaders of the church. We expect them to live in an upright manner, rarely if ever making a mistake. After all, if they are going to preach about Christ, they better have following him down to a science. And if they DO happen to do the unthinkable and make a mistake, we are armed with the biggest stone we can find and prepared to judge them for their actions.
If I'm going to be honest with you, I have felt this feeling of judgment before. I've had unrealistic expectations for others to live up to a "holier than thou" life. But in reality, when you take your eyes off God, as everyone does at some point in life, your motives to truly seek Him diminish. The Christ you once preached about becomes a stranger to you again. There's no communion between you.
On the contrary, sometimes when you are fully serving God, you can be looked upon as if you aren't genuine. How are we to react to these people? Those hypocrites leading worship and living a life of sin. Those girls who teach Sunday school at church but portray a life of partying throughout the week. What are we to do with these people? Should we annihilate them? Write them off as worthless? Be sure to tell everyone we know not to trust them?
Far more people would burn in the flames of human judgement than in the hands of a JUST God. We tend to forget what God commands of us usually goes against what we'd want to do in our flesh. Our flesh screams out "JUDGEMENT," but our Lord whispers "mercy." While we are busy judging the motives of others, we forget that God is All-knowing. He is Justice. He doesn't condemn them, but uses their testimony, however murky or inconsistent, for His glory. I'll tell you, if God can use a donkey to speak to get someone's attention (Numbers 22:28), he sure can use that hypocrite for His purposes.
Why is He so patient? Why does he still choose to use those people who live by a double standard? Why doesn't he just strike them down? I believe He knows something that we tend to forget. He knows that while practicing the Word, whether motives are true or false, they will eventually meet that crossroad. One that allows them to see their life for what it really is and make a decision to reclaim their identity in Christ. He's the God of many chances.
What are we to do with these that falter along the way? Those who are bold enough to live two lives? Send them to hell in a handbasket? Burn them at the stakes? We love them. We pray for them. We show them mercy. Mercy is giving someone what they don't deserve. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7). I don't know about you, but I need to be shown some mercy. From friends, from family, and most importantly from God!
When we take our eyes off of the person and their wrongdoings, and focus on God who is more than able to overcome our hearts, we can find faith that God will meet them where they are. We no longer have to be the judge of one's intentions because God is glorified either way. What do you know? He doesn't need us to fend for Him after all! If Jesus, who gave up His own life for our sake, can show us mercy in our hypocrisy, I believe we can work on showing that same mercy to others.
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