For Thought and Meditation - Friday, June 17

[Pine Baron]

Good morning all. This message right here, you know who you are. I have much work to do. Have a safe and blessed day.

Beware of Criticizing Others

By Oswald Chambers

Judge not, that you be not judged. —Matthew 7:1

Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.

There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

A fanatic is one who entrenches himself in invincible ignorance. Baffled to Fight Better, 59 R

[Wayne Smith]

But we are to come alongside a brother who has fallen into sin and challenge him to change, being careful not to fall into the same sin. That requires judgment. We need to be careful of context and the word choice in the Greek - and aware of the Jewish style of speech. We are required to judge within the brotherhood, and to use wisdom in our speech (see James) so that we do not drive others away. All this requires judgment, of self and others. What we are to avoid is: a critical attitude that sees no good in one, a projection of my own sin onto another (take the log out of your own eye), and we are to exercise care and thought in the judgments we make.

[USMC87]

Amen, this is a tough subject that we do have to judge among ourselves being careful because we as Wayne said we condemn ourselves.

[WRideout]

The qualities I hate most in others are the ones I have myself.

Wayne

[Wayne Smith]

The qualities I hate most in others are the ones I have myself.

Esynr

Yup, in psychology we call that projection - seeing what I hate in myself in those around me rather than in myself. It is one of the early defense mechanisms (kids do it all the time) but it does not serve well in adulthood. Jesus tells us to pay attention to our own issues first, then deal with those around us. Good advise, good psychology.