The World Is Full Of Hypocrisy
There are people who think or believe that they have friends who will stand up for them even if they are not there, they for their part sacrifice the most best of their time, energy and intellectual strength trying to please their friends in whatever way necessary for their good and upliftment.
These beautiful people with beautiful hearts always deny themselves of some pleasure and relaxation to see to it that their friends are satisfied and the needs of the time met, in fact they are always sacrificing, trying to please their so called friends, they are at times called “Misters Good Doers”, in time of need and hardship they are sought after, their services are highly needed, but when that puzzle is solved and the tempest abated, they are soon forgotten, they are treated as fools and mentally retarded, they are criticized and gossiped, evil spoken of by those whom they call friends, in their time of needs no one of those their friends will prove supporting, they are abandoned and ridiculed, it is for these people that this piece of advice is penned down.
1. Your Needs Should Be Met First
Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds. (Proverbs 27:23)
There is no greater advice than what you have just read, I have heard people say, think much of others and less of yourself, they are right, but I want you to take a look at them, see if there is anyone of them that are poor, they speak from the abundance of their riches, they give because they have, they do not give from what they did not have, Bill Gates gives because he has, many of the world donors give from the abundance of their wealth, a one legged man needs support, he cannot carry a man whose two feet have been amputated, he needs another foot to be able to do so, you should in no way sacrifice your time and strength for others while you have problems facing you, get your needs and problems solved before thinking of helping others, you should not please a friend and then displease yourself when you know that you have problems and needs facing you, don’t do the good that will cost you tomorrow, accept this advice of mine and be happy at the end.
For riches are not forever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? (Proverbs 27:24)
Be careful how you spend for friends even if they meant a lot to you, be careful how you help others, you may at the end be disappointed, man is known for always been ungrateful, don’t be fast in lending help to people whom you know that they will not return it with appreciativeness, many people have regretted while they helped friends, there some people to day, who are in various prison houses all over the world, not because they committed some evils but because they were trying to help a friend out of his quandary, look carefully into a matter before saying yes I will, bear in mind that nothing lasts forever, you have a limited time and vigour, one day your strength will fail you, hardship and trials will come, what you saved up for yourself today will hold you up in those time of evil, friends can disappoint and have proved so with time, it is your yesterday’s preparation will prove worthwhile in the coming days of evil, I will point out more of it later in this article.
When grass is cut short, the tender growth appears, and vegetables are gathered on the hills. (Proverbs 27:25)
In farming, there is what is known as weeding, it is the removal of unwanted plants from an area of ground or the plants cultivated in it, the truth of the matter is that a time comes in the life of a man that he should make a thorough reshuffle and crosschecking of his life, and begins to pick out those friends who do not contribute anything good in or to his life, during farming seasons, farmers take the care and pain to look after their farms and what they have planted in them, immediately they notice a strange grass growing among the plants, they do not waste time in removing it, why, because if allowed, it will destroy the crops and render that farmer’s labour futile. So also, a man should always look out for those friends who are there as parasites and immediately disassociate himself from their company, it is better to stand alone and face the future than to have millions of friends who are deserters and untrustworthy in the time of adversity, because such friends make professions of friendship; but all is hollow and deceitful, and can never be depended upon.
And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens. (Proverbs 27:27)
Taking care of yourself in the first place guarantees your safety, if you think that your sacrificial whatever will earn you help in the time of need, you are a joker and kidder, the bottom-line is; take care of your resources and your resources will take care of you, it is always a proven fact. Listen dear friend and reader, I am not saying you should be stingy and heartless, that will prove ungodly and inhumane, what I am saying is that, do what you can and leave the rest to God, do not go beyond your ability, you cannot change the world, but you can effect a change, stand first before thinking of standing others, get the help first before helping others, crossover first before crossing someone over, get a home first before taking in a homeless man, have some food in the reserve before giving it out to others, have some money in the safe before spending on others, yes there are situations that may demand our most needed attention, but that is not always the case, please I want you to hear this piece of advice from one of the greatest and wisest men that ever walked on the face of this our planet earth:
Consider what God has done! Who can straighten what God has bent? When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one time as well as the other so that mortals cannot predict their future. I have seen it all in my pointless life: Righteous people die in spite of being righteous. Wicked people go on living in spite of being wicked. Don't be too virtuous, and don't be too wise. Why make yourself miserable? Don't be too wicked, and don't be a fool. Why should you die before your time is up? It's good to hold on to the one and not let go of the other, because the one who fears God will be able to avoid both extremes. Wisdom will help a wise person more than ten rulers can help a city. (Ecclesiastes 7:13-19, Copyright © 1995 by GOD'S WORD to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)
I have read stories of people who attempted to effect a world change, some of them died miserable, some ended up in debt, others were changed by the world, take for example that Italian girl that dressed like a newly married maiden, she went out from Italy touring the world, hoping to bring the needed peace, only to be raped and brutally murdered at Turkey, there are things we cannot change, we do not need to do good to be good, we do good when the need arises.
2. Avoid The Extreme
We all want to help, but we should help when necessary, and help should be done out of love and conviction, and not out of compulsion and constraint, let’s take for example, you have one dollar in your pocket and it is for a transport fare that will take you 15 miles, now if someone asks you to give it to him, would you do that? Some people out of pity would do so, the truth is one can do so if he sees that the situation demands such, it is such type of giving or help that God honours, we are not expected to give our last, we are commanded to give our best, and it should be done out of love. Now some people will say what of the widow of Zarephath, didn’t she give out her only remaining food to the prophet Elijah, yes, she did but let’s take a careful look at what happened and why it was done, and for what purpose:
And the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray you, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray you, a morsel of bread in your hand. And she said, As the LORD your God lives, I do not have a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a jar: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said to her, Fear not; go and do as you have said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it to me, and afterwards make for you and for your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not be used up, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal was not used up, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:8-16)
I underlined those sentences in order to point out something, first Elijah went under God’s command; arise go to Zarephath, I have commanded (prepared) a widow to sustain you, it was God who commanded Elijah, it was the same God who prepared the heart of that woman, everything was working under divine providence, the woman gave to the prophet out of love and conviction, Elijah never coerced her into doing what she did, she simply obeyed the voice of God through the prophet when he said; For thus says the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not be used up, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth, when things are done in love and conviction, the result is always immense, the woman hesitated at first, she started her reason, but because God was involved in the whole affair, an excellent result ensued. Some quack and money hungry preachers have used this particular chapter and verse of the bible to dupe thousands of their life savings, promising them gold and diamonds in return, such people have waited for eternity and no gold or diamond is forthcoming, from such (preachers) desist. When God speaks, he accomplishes, but when men speak purporting that God sent them, the result is always negative and fruitlessness, one million lies cannot make up a truth, no matter who smooths them.
When your heart convinces you to do something, don’t hesitate in doing it, that is quite different, what I am saying in essence is, avoid giving help that will cause you distress in time to come, such help does not produce any fruitful result, at times they gender strife, hatred, bitterness and all the human vices coupled together. Some people in the course of them wanting to better humanity have made miserable and irreparable mistakes. You are not born to better humanity, you are born to make a difference and leave behind you an impressing undying legacy, you are born to touch one life at a time when the opportunity strikes, those whom opportunity brings on your way, bless them, do what you can to put a smile on their faces, by so doing you are accomplishing the irrefutable law of love, you are making your world (not the world) a better place, you are helping lives move forward. You are not here to gain man’s approval and applause, doing so will send you to your untimely grave, man in his fallen nature is insatiable, you cannot please everyone, but you can touch many lives if you follow the simple rules and regulations of rendering services when needed. Don’t overburden yourself to win people’s approval and applause, those who want you to go the extra mile cannot even escort you with a foot, they would like you to carry all the burdens and are not ready to help you lift them with a finger, for such friends “… bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” (Matthew 23:4)
3. Preparing While There’s Still Opportunity
Now as I said earlier, I will tell you what to do when the opportunity calls, what I am about to tell you may in one way or the other annoy you, but you should evaluate everything I have said, to see if I am lying. Let’s say you have some thousands or hundreds of dollars in your bank account, instead of using them on charity (though it is a good and noble thing to reach out to humanity), can’t you invest them into something that will be yielding you some money in return, I mean something that will be bringing you some returns, now if you want to do charity then that would be okay, why would you build houses for others, while you do not have a roof to lay your head, while would you buy cars to give out to others while you are trekking on foot, friend, are you stupid or what, are you trying to gain approval and applause from men, or are you here to do the right thing? Someone may say what of Tabitha in the book of Acts 9:36-41, yes, Tabitha was a giver but she was not giving to be praised and applauded, she was acting out of love for God and towards man, there was this divine conviction deep within her innermost heart, Tabitha was not poor, she had before she gave, the bible said she made coats and garments, she did almsgiving and was full of good deeds, everything she does flowed from a virtuous heart, she loved what she was doing, some went out wanting to be acclaimed people of the year, they wanted people to know them, appear on the covers of the magazines with laudable commendations from people all over the globe, have interviews and awards with smiling faces, but in the long run they failed utterly and retire with heartrending regrets. Before you do something, be convinced about it, do not seek for recognition, make sure it is done out of love and conviction, and not because to be seen, commended and praised. Now someone may say; didn’t the apostle Paul say we should do good to all men? That is quoting the bible out of context, let’s read it in viewpoint, “Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant. If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; if you plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life. So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith” (Galatians 6:7-10). There is a great difference between sowing to the flesh and sowing to the Spirit, the latter is done out of love and the former out of pride and conceit.
4. Stop Doing Good And Start Doing The Right Thing
What do you mean? Yes, you heard me right, STOP DOING GOOD and begin doing the right thing. In every field of intellectualism, we should know and understand where words are derived from and what they meant in the first place, the word good is derived from two Greek words meaning two different things altogether, the word is ἀγαθός (pronounced agathos), it simply means good(s), benefit(s) good things, etc., the second is καλός (pronounced kalos), it is of uncertain affinity, meaning good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well adapted to its ends, genuine, approved, praiseworthy, noble, beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence creditable, morally good, noble, honourable, conferring honour, affecting the mind agreeably, comforting and confirming. Could you see that there is a great difference between the former and the latter? Whenever a person does the right thing, there is this feeling of joy, contentment and inner peace and settlement, now I am going to scripturally certify what I am saying, this is Jesus Himself speaking and I am happy it is from the mouth of the Saviour, now hear what He said on this subject; “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6). Does that make sense to you; are you beginning to see why you should do the right thing at the right time to the right people who have real needs and not to those who have unending wants? There is a great difference between needs and wants; the former has to do with life’s necessity, while the latter has to do with one’s sensual desires.
Let’s take example, you have a friend who has lost his job, he has children who go to school, he has a family to take care of, yes helping such a friend out of his predicament is a noble thing and something praiseworthy, giving to the destitute, helping the elderly, the sick, the physically challenged, fighting against human trafficking and rescuing their victims, providing homes for the homeless, reorienting drug addicts, helping those who are lost regain a new look, feeding the hungry, putting our money where they are needed is what should occupy our minds. Why should you lavish money on friends buying them cigarettes and boozes, taking them to party and other amusement joints, only to be mocked in the day of adversity, yes you are doing it to be called, my-o-my, my pally, good guy, etc. The truth is none of them will be there for you when trouble strikes; some will even mock and call you foolish-witty (i.e. Wise in folly and foolish in wisdom). Why would you spend your energy trying to please everyone, don’t you have better things to do with your resources? Beware of dogs and swine, look for those of whom your labour would be appreciated, don’t waste your time trying to please ingrates and wretches. Do that which is right and leave the rest to God, don’t weary yourself and be wasted at the end.
- In Conclusion
The world is full of hypocrisy, you have your life before you, don’t waste it on frivolities rather use it to mark a difference, you may not have all the money in the world, but with the little you have, you can effect a change when you sow into the lives of those who are in need of it. Do the right thing and reap the enduring reward. Look out for opportunities to do good to the right people when they strike. “He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward” (Proverbs 19:17). Give to those who cannot repay you back, and you will be blessed. “Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luc 14:12-14).
Jesus is not telling us not to invite relatives or rich friends when we are doing any festivity, what Jesus is simply is that, do things in the spirit of love to those whom you will not expect anything in return, don’t do things to be accepted, do it and forget you have done something, someday somewhere, the reward will be made manifest. Don’t be discouraged at what I have said, they are for your good, disassociate yourself from friends who cannot contribute anything positive in your life, don’t form the habit of spending on friends, instead you can visit the orphanage homes, the leprous colonies, the blind people’s homes, psychiatric centres, disabled people’s sanatoriums, centres where mentally and physically challenged children are kept, look for such places and invest your money, you will never regret that you did.
Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap. For with the same measure that you use it shall be measured to you again. (Luc 6:38)
“Christian charity will make no difficulty in giving that which eternal truth promises to restore. Let us give, neither out of mere human generosity, nor out of vanity, nor from interest, but for the sake of God, if we would have him place it to account. There is no such thing as true unmixed generosity but in God only; because there is none but him who receives no advantage from his gifts, and because he engages himself to pay these debts of his creatures with an excessive interest. So great is the goodness of God, that, when he might have absolutely commanded us to give to our neighbour, he vouchsafes to invite us to this duty by the prospect of a reward, and to impute that to us as a desert which he has a right to exact of us by the title of his sovereignty over our persons and estates.” Men live in such a state of social union as renders mutual help necessary; and, as self-interest, pride, and other corrupt passions mingle themselves ordinarily in their commerce, they cannot fail of offending one another. Adam Clarke
Every good deed done out of godliness and sincerity has an eternal reward, they are not forgotten, they are recorded, kept against the day of evil. “Scatter your bread upon the waters: for you shall find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for you know not what evil shall be upon the earth.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2)
Never cease giving while thou seest a person in distress, and hast wherewithal to relieve him. Such may be the change of times, that thou mayest yet stand in need of similar help thyself. Do as thou wouldst be done by. Adam Clarke
