Spiritual life and real life
Hypocrisy
hypocrisy uncovered
We had an uncle who was very bold and courageous enough to raise his voice even in the middle of the crowd. One day as our local church was celebrating its annual festival, and there comes a medicine seller who was thin and skinny. In the street corner, he placed his box. Upon the box, he displayed medicine bottles along with two pictures of a guy, before and after using the medicine.
He was calling people and telling them the qualities of the medicine. One picture shows the photo of a man with a skinny and thin body taken before using the medicine. Another photo shows the healthy body of the same guy after using the medicine. The medicine seller was calling people and many were gathered around him to listen about the medicine. He was claiming that if you use the medicine for a month or two your body will turn healthy enough to do any hard work just as in the picture.
Our uncle also came there and was listening to his claims. After listening to him for a few minutes, uncle attracted the attention of the crowd by clapping his hands and told the crowd and the medicine seller that first the medicine seller should use the medicine and prove that the medicine will work in his body then we will buy the medicine. Everyone gathered around agreed on the suggestion of the uncle and left immediately. Sadly medicine seller also packed his things and left. I remember the incident very often.
Me and my hypocrisy
Before we try to sell an idea or product, we must prove that it will work well with us. The other day I saw a man who was selling the weight loss product. He was very fatty and was not able to walk properly. I remembered my uncle and the incident. How can he convince his buyer that his medicine will work when he himself has to have a lot of weight. To convince somebody about a product or idea we must prove it in our very own life. I have seen many preachers who are preaching about blessings when they are not blessed in their very own life. How can a man preach about blessings when he himself is not blessed.
I was screening and watching people with the thought that we should not teach or preach thing which is not proved in our life. Then suddenly I remembered the words of Jesus. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Then I started to look at my life. What am I doing? If I am not able to receive the healing touch of God, How can I tell the healing touch of God to someone else and pray for him? If I am not blessed, how can I teach about blessings to others? If my life is not filled with truth and happiness, how can I teach and preach about truth and happiness? Am I like the medicine, seller? No one will accept what I have to say if I am not practicing it in my life. There is no truth in my words.
In fact, I am blessed with many things. I am blessed with good parents. I am blessed with a good wife and beautiful children. I am blessed with a good flat in a nice residential area. I am blessed with a job and a decent salary. People who are qualified than me are not getting what I am getting (I agree that there are exceptions). God blessed me and I am happy.
Still, I found there are areas in my life where I need to improve. Improvement in my actions. Improvement in my faith. Improvement in my thoughts and views. Improvements in my relations.
Sometimes I ask myself that "am I following the crowd or my conviction? Am I influencing the surroundings or the surroundings influencing me? What is the goal of my life?
Let me ask you to join us as we marching ahead with a goal. "The peace and happiness of the mankind".