“We’re such hypocrites,” my son told my husband quietly.

He said ‘we’, but he was really talking about me.

Earlier that evening, when the kids were swimming in the pool, I walked into the laundry room and said, “Grrrrr!!!! There is water all over in here! Who dripped all over the floor?”

Turns out, it was my son’s friend. And the door was open. And everyone–including the friend–heard my angry outburst. And (not surprisingly) my son was embarrassed.

But why the ‘hypocrisy indictment’? Because my son knows I never would grumbled this way if I knew his friend was in earshot.

I felt really, really horrible. He’s right–I am a hypocrite.

But he’s also right about the ‘we’. We all are hypocrites.

Our family’s private behavior is more flawed and sinful than our public behavior.

We smile politely and nod to our coaches, but grumble when parents ask us to do something far less strenuous. We are cheerfully helpful toward our friends, but don’t want to lend a hand to family members. We easily dismiss inconveniences (like wiping up some water) that our friends create, but fume at the messes family members make.

Perhaps your family has some hypocrisy, too?

Romans 12:9 says, “Let love be genuine.”

Fake love is when you’re nicer to guests than your own family members. Fake love is when you are kinder and more considerate in public than you are at home. Fake love is a temporary, selfish form of love. It puts on a front for a short time. We fake our love when we want to seem like a loving person.

But there is a genuine love that is true through and through. It’s consistent, even behind closed doors. Genuine love is patient, genuine love is kind–especially with our family members. Genuine love is not arrogant or rude, even in the privacy of our own homes. Genuine love does not insist on having its own way–even when you’re the mom, and these kids are driving you nuts. Genuine love isn’t irritable or resentful–even with husbands.

Love never ends–especially not after the guests leave, or after you enter the privacy of your dwelling.

Let love be genuine; not riddled with hypocrisy.