I see it all the time. Someone comes into my life on a casual basis and seems to make a show of everything. They walk arrogantly into a room and then spout the most prideful of words. They often treat other people with contempt or by looking down on them in some way. Further examination, however, often reveals what they are hiding. They may be acquiring material things in an effort to demonstrate wealth that is not there. They may also present advice that they themselves are not following. It is all a show that is not based in reality nor truth.
II Corinthians 1:12 says, “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.” We should simplify our lives in Christ and the gospel message by avoiding the complications brought on by accumulating worldly goods and ideas. Then, the sincerity of our beliefs may be exhibited by the absence of pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy.
Reluctant Retiree 