Overcoming a Critical Spirit from CBN.com
Learning to Give and Receive God’s Grace
Do you judge others? Is it easy for you to find fault with those around you? Then beware: Your spiritual life is in danger.
A critical attitude can hinder your walk with God and distract you from God’s purposes for your life.
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Why We Judge
We judge because of our own selfish interests. For example, we sometimes become critical when comparing ourselves to those around us. We try to find fault in others to prove that we are smarter, better looking, happier or wealthier. But these are selfish reasons. We simply want to feel better about ourselves. We also get critical when others fail to do what we ask, or do not do what we think is right. Often, it is a family member, friend or co-worker who fails to meet our expectations. Our expectations lead to a judgmental attitude.
Even our own frustrations can lead to a critical attitude. If life is not turning out the way we desire, we hide our own frustrations by finding fault with others.
Judge Not…
Finding fault and being critical are some of the easiest things to do. They seem to come naturally to us. But Jesus told us not to judge “lest you be judged” (Matt. 7:1, NASB). We should obey His command.
Jesus then explained why a judgmental attitude is so dangerous: “God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them” (v.2).
When we judge, we invite judgment upon ourselves. The Bible says that “judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy” (James 2:13).
By judging others, we hide our own hypocrisy. For example, when the religious leaders brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in sexual sin, they wanted to kill her. But Jesus responded, “If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone at her” (John 8:7). Nobody threw one.
