Criticism

“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 12:36-37

What kind of words come from your mouth? Are they sometimes critical words to someone or about someone? We must be careful that we don’t fall into a pattern of criticism.

Jesus’ words to us today are pretty strong, aren’t they? What we say reveals what is in our hearts, and what we say will be held against us at the time of judgment. Oswald Chambers in his book, My Upmost for His Highest, also has some strong words for critical comments that come out of our mouths: “The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known.” Ouch! That should alarm us.

Criticizing makes us feel superior to others. We put ourselves above them. We should cultivate an attitude that is never critical of others. In my 30 years of high school teaching, I soon learned that a disruptive, unmotivated student always had something in his life causing him to act as he did. Who was I to criticize him without knowing anything about him? There is always something in a person’s life that we know nothing about.

One of my grandmothers had a very critical spirit. She had a very difficult life. My grandparents were poor. In my grandmother’s eyes everyone else had a much better, easier life than she had. This caused her to be unpleasant to be around. Although she attended church and read her Bible, she never gave this critical spirit to God.

When we are in the “critical mode,” it is impossible to enter into fellowship with God. Therefore, we miss out on His joy, peace, and the blessings He has for us. That is why it is so important that we think before we speak.

We should be careful about the words that come from our mouths. Christians should only speak words that uplift others and not tear them down.

Today’s Challenge: GIVE COMPLIMENTS INSTEAD OF CRITICAL COMMENTS.

Georgia Andrus