I sat alone in the church for 15 minutes. The acquaintance who had invited me was nowhere to be found. Finally, he walked in with his fiancée. In jest, I told him he was a bad example of what a godly church member should be.
“Yeah, my fiancée and I had a huge fight,” he said. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. I barely knew him! Why was he being so vulnerable?
UPHOLDING A REPUTATION
Growing up in a traditional Asian American church, I was taught the importance of reputation. I was told to avoid confessing struggles and sins. Because my dad was respected in church ministry, if I shared my sins with others, it would taint my parents’ image. So I struggled with lust, pride, and depression—alone.
One of the most effective yet elusive methods of destroying a man is to turn him into a hypocrite. It’s easy to see the vileness of a murderer, adulterer, or demon-worshipper. But hypocrisy is a silent killer. Many Christians claim to be willing to lose their lives but can’t risk their own reputations. We’re more preoccupied with others thinking we’re like Christ than actually
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
