My friend was angry again. Her minister had slipped up, saying some hurtful things. She didn’t appreciate it, feeling frustrated that he would say something so hurtful. I consoled her, to the best of my ability, over the phone and with text messages. She was having increased conflicts with her parents as well. I understood her frustration because I’ve had disagreements with my parents too. Growing up, things don’t always seem fair. It can feel like different rules apply to you than to your parents, siblings, and other Church members.

Are these examples of hypocrisy? Hypocrisy is saying you believe something but then doing  the opposite. It’s a strong word and very difficult to experience. If we’re called to be perfect, why is there hypocrisy in God’s Church? How does God feel about hypocrisy? How can you better handle situations that seem hypocritical?

God uses imperfect people

We are called to be followers of Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God. It seems logical that since we are called to become perfect, the Church of God should be free of hypocrisy and imperfections (Hebrews 6:1). Right?

Wrong. The Bible reveals the truth. Do you think a biblical hero, like King David of Israel, was guilty of being a hypocrite? He was one of Israel’s first kings, composed many of the Bible’s Psalms and was certainly a righteous man. God calls David a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22). But David was an adulterer who, in an attempt to cover up his sin, committed murder. According to 2 Samuel 11, David’s actions displeased God. After the prophet Nathan confronted him, David repented of his sin (Psalm 51), which is why God calls him a man after His own heart.

Now, pause to reflect on your own life. Hopefully, you consider yourself a member of God’s Church. No doubt there’s an area in your life where you’re still growing and faults you’re still working to overcome. Does that mean, since you have imperfections, you’re not a part of God’s Church? Absolutely not!

Realize the basic truth that God uses imperfect people and has done so since the time of Adam and Eve. There has been no perfect human being—except for the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Every member of God’s Church has faults that they’re working to overcome (Romans 3:23). By no means does this excuse the transgressions, including hypocrisy, we all commit from time to time. If anything, it should motivate us to run closer to our loving Father, who works with us with patience and mercy to overcome sin. There is hypocrisy in God’s Church because it is made up of weak human beings, working to reach our goal in His Kingdom and receive the reward of eternal life. That’s something we should be deeply thankful for everyday.

God’s advice in hypocritical situations

Does seeing hypocrisy in the Church of God discourage you from attending services? Could it even cause you to lose faith in God? If you mishandle it, yes—and that is exactly what Satan wants! Satan tempts us to sin, and wants to draw as many people as he can away from God. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to recognize and defeat Satan’s evil tactics. In light of this, let’s take a look at what God has to say about handling hypocritical situations.

In a beautiful, comedic comparison, Jesus gives us a foundational principle on how to view other people’s faults. He says: “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye, then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5, New Living Translation).

Many times we tend to blow other people’s mistakes out of proportion but overlook our own. Again, this is not to say that the other person is totally in the right, but take a step back, calm down, and reevaluate the situation from multiple perspectives. Don’t be quick to judge the faults of others.

In the same sermon, Christ reminds us to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Hopefully, no one in the Church is your enemy, but hypocrisy can create sharp conflicts very quickly. Talk to God about how you feel. Ask Him to help you and the other individual—whether it’s your parent, pastor, friend, or anyone—see eye-to-eye again, working with you and your friend to resolve the issue.

Solomon wrote: “A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back” (Proverbs 29:11). It’s very easy to grow angry towards someone who is being hypocritical. But wouldn’t anger only escalate the conflict, potentially destroying your relationship? Even the simplest of social situations can be easily misunderstood. It would be better to wait, confirming what is true, rather than losing your temper over nothing.

In conclusion, God’s Church consists of imperfect people. Hypocrisy exists because even though we do our best to follow God’s law, we fall short as imperfect human beings. In these difficult situations, be careful in drawing conclusions about people’s faults. Pray, asking God to help all parties to work out the situation successfully, without resorting to hasty, emotional outbursts that can only produce hurt. You, and anyone, can still serve God as a unique and powerful member of His Church, even in spite of hypocrisy.