My 3 year old son is the epitome of a hypocrite. See, in our household there are a couple words we are not allowed to say and they are “stupid” and “shut-up.” The reason is because our sons used them way too much around too many people, and they always seemed to be pointed towards someone.

But there is a problem. My three year old has become a hypocrite/legalist and so does the very thing he is telling other to stop doing. This is how it breaks down:

Me, (talking to my wife two rooms away) “…That movie was Stupid.”

My 3 yr old, “DADDY! You said ‘Stupid!’”

Me, “I know buddy, sorry about that. Daddy shouldn’t have said that.”

My 3 yr old, (under his breath for the next 3 hours) “Stupid daddy said ‘stupid.’”

It is the same with “shut-up.” But many times he will just say it for the fun of it or even sing a song where every word is either “Stupid” or “Shut-up”.

The Point: Doesn’t it seem like we can do this in our ministries also? Think about confronting a fellow worker who always jokes around, or is late, or does not seem to care. Yet in our own way, we do the very same thing. Maybe they show up late to every meeting, but then when we show up late we make it sound like it is ok that we are late, we can excuse it. How about when we confront a student on their personal study of the Word, prayer or journaling? Are we really doing as much as we are asking the student?

It’s not that I’m trying to discourage you from confronting an issue, I am merely saying that in my own life, if I challenge my students to have a better thought life; to get into a fight club; to be in community, I had better be doing those things or addressing areas in my life that need change.

Just as my son is a hypocrite for yelling at me for saying shut-up or stupid, and then saying the same thing for the next hour, many of us do the same thing, just on a much larger scale. Don’t be like my three year old, confront sin but confront your own first. Challenge a student to study the word, but challenge yourself first! Don’t be a hypocrite.