Lessons from a Hypocrite

[Quoth]

I am a hypocrite. I smoke, and tell others never to start. I tell people to go to church, when I can't remember exactly when I last went. I tell people to read the Bible, when my own Bible has gathered dust.

I guess what I wish to impart to others is, don't become what I am working to come back from. To anyone who aspires to be a youth minister (as I do):


Stay connected in the Church. Whether it's a Bible study you get together once a week or regular services in a church building, you need those Brothers building you up.

Don't start things you can't quit. Don't smoke. Don't ever look at porn. Don't make commitments to people when your heart isn't in it or you know you can't do it right now. Put temptation as far from you as humanly possible, and ask God to put it farther.

Read the Bible every day. Even if you only have (or make) time to read a few verses, grip onto them. Do your best to memorize them, not because you have to, but because you want to.

Invest in something bigger than yourself. Don't isolate yourself in your job and social life. It's entirely too lonely. Focus on being part of a group project, like restoring a house or your buddy's car. Get in with a healthy group, and accomplish something.

Get fed, get rested, get healthy. Spiritually, stay in the Word and in communion with the Lord. Physically, do what's good for you. Ignore the tendency some have of staying up all night for no reason. Get sleep, exercise, and take care of the body you're renting from the Lord.

Right now I struggle with so many temptations and sins I've succumbed to. Don't be like me and have to fight your way out of them. Take the higher road.

 

[asianchexmix]

The great news about this is that even youth minister's need grace and mercy every day. It took a lot of guts sharing the things on your heart and your own personal struggles but don't be too hard on yourself. I think that we tend to keep looking at our faults under a microscope. Address the issue but don't think because of these things you will fail. Just remember that when you overcome these things through Christ, that you will have another aspect in where Christ was real to you and that in turn may help another person (maybe a youth kid) who is going through the same thing get encouraged and overcome it as well. Our struggles that we face aren't by coincidence or even by our own fault. I do believe God put those faults in us so that we can share how God has moved.

 

[drich0150]

fret not brother even Paul laments: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate I do."
He goes thru the rest of the chapter waging war on himself trying to separate conscience rational thought(Mind) with evil selfindulging sin (Body). he ends the chapter with this statement: "So then, I myself in my mind to god's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." It's like he saying: I choose in my mind to follow Jesus, I want to make these "right decisions" but Physically My mind is bound to this body, whose only lot in life is to follow the rules of sin.

So I'd say your problem is not a new one nor is it punishable "In gods court" By death.. And I'd like to mention you seem to be in pretty good company. Just do give up and keep on keeping on!

Goodluck and Godbless

 

[Juanathan]

Is this why you feel that (like you described in another one of your posts) you are ready to built the house, but it rains and rains and rains?

If you are confessing your sins, then you are not a hypocrite. God GRACIOUSLY allows our compulsion to fall into sin as we are proclaiming it is wrong. THATS WHAT THE GOSPEL IS!! If we were free from sin we would no longer need Christ.

The goal of Christianity is not to be free from all sin. It is to grasp God's gift of freedom of sin through faith in Jesus Christ. Tell that to the kids you work with and there is no need for the shame and inner-turmoil that you harbor inside.

We are to be a voice of hope to these high school kids. They are struggling with SOOO much. Each one of them. How can you show them the hope found in Jesus' defeat of sin and death when you have no hope?
You smoke. Do you want to stop? Yes? Then that is a start. That is for the Spirit to work in you on. But Christ took away the hopelessness you feel as you disobey God. You are free.

 

[seabe]

May the Lord bless you abundantly man of God.i believe that you are not a hypocrite, because you are actually concerned about your situation and you want to get out of it. You are not the only one who is faced with trouble, Jesus said in John (16:33) that he over cam the world. What we easily do,when we find our selves in trouble is that we esily get discouraged, we thank God though because he is faithful he will never let us to be oppressed more than we can actually bare.

In such a period,you have to believe God for breakthrough and completely trust him for deliverance from addictions, and God will do something new and amazing in your life.


Telling people to read the bible is a wonderful thing, and only those who care aboutthe things of God are the ones who can encourage people to do that.

So don't worry, but rather start all over again. Don't be discouraged when you fall again, but rather say I AM COMING OUT in the name of Jesus Christ.

Even when you are holding a cigarette in your hand, dnt let guilt over shadow you but rather say, I am Free in the name of Jesus. I am no longer bound to addictions.

Be blessed in Jesus name.

 

[ghs1994]

i think some of us probably fall under the hypocrite category more often than we are willing to admit.

whether we admit it or not - confession is only part of the process.

i'm glad to read you are doing something about it and not just confessing it. i'm in the same boat - batting about .500.

 

[BrotherAtArms]

I heard a pastor named Francis Chan say that there are people that wake up in the morning, so addicted to things, but pray, "God, please let me make it through this day without failing and submitting to this addiction" and then he said, "Praise God for those people, because I know, it's a fight".
Everyone has temptations, everyone. I think the problem is when people don't look at it as a problem and go on with it while living what they call a 'holy life'.
You actually acknowledge your faults, and teach they are bad. I wouldn't call you a hypocrite.

And anyone reading what I'm saying right now, go back and read the first post of this thread, because they're right.

Btw, your signature is awesome Let's see those numbers grow. I want to see that you've saved over $100.

 

[weiwei]

这是新加的空白文章1，可以在UBB可视化编辑器中，添加和修改文章内容。

 

[skeptikk]

Making mistakes and then warning others about the bad decisions you made isn't being hypocritical, it's being self-aware.

Now, if you see someone who smokes and think "they're disgusting" or if you see someone who doesn't go to church and think "what a bad person," you're being judgmental and hypocritical.

 

[thanxjesuschrist]

just pray and stay in the word

 

[thanxjesuschrist]

thanks for the advice