The Perils of Serving with a Hypocritical Heart

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Have you ever done a good work and realized it was more about you then the person you were doing the good work for?  Ever served tirelessly and been tempted to focus on yourself and the payoff you might get instead of bringing glory to God?


If so, you’re not alone. The Pharisees did all their good works for people to see so others would esteem them. But Jesus exhorted them for their hypocritical hearts. Here’s what he said:


They were more interested in their own agendas than the Kingdom


They wanted to do things their way. Their need to be praised blinded them to the underlying motives of pride and control in their hearts


They were insincere


The Pharisees often took oaths to feel good about themselves but they did it to impress others, not because they had pure hearts


They worshiped rules not relationships


They cared more about people’s behavior than they did about their hearts. Their need to focus on the law trumped an intimate relationship with God. They tried to look good on the outside, but inside they were full of “dead man’s bones.


Serving, or being in a place of leadership carries tremendous responsibility, and it’s easy to be blinded by hidden faults or wrong motives.


How do we solve the problem and keep a pure heart?


By developing a sense of self-awareness and taking time to pray and examine our hearts before God, something the Pharisees didn’t do.


Next, by finding an accountability partner. Someone who will be honest with us about our hidden faults and speak the truth into our lives like Nathan the prophet did for King David (2Samuel 12).


What are some hidden faults we may be blind to? Here are a few to consider:



Control
Tying to prove our self-worth through performing
Self dependence instead of dependence on God
Focusing on appearances
People Pleasing instead of God pleasing
Assuming we know more than others (pride)

Service can be a wearisome task if we do it in our own strength, but if chose to depend on Christ as we serve, it can grow us like no other spiritual discipline.


Transformation will flow from a humble heart. If some of the afore mentioned attitudes have taken center stage in your life, here are a few suggestions to deal a death- blow to the flesh:



Cultivate humility through prayer
Surrender your rights to have things your way
Consider what needs are being met through your service (value/worth, adequacy, love) and allow Christ to meet them, not others
Examine what beliefs you’re holding about yourself, God and others that may need modifying (i.e. I know how to get the job done better than others)
Forgive. Don’t let a root of bitterness spring up when you don’t get your way or when others hurt or disappoint you

In Psalm 19, David asks God to deliver him from hidden faults because he understood the perils of hypocrisy. Take time today to ask the Father to reveal any patterns that may be offensive in you, and be willing to receive the answer with an open heart.


 


 


 

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Published on February 22, 2013 11:00
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