Whoa yesterday was an eye opener! As I set my mind to pay attention to any critical thought, attitude or comment, I quickly realized how deeply rooted criticism has become. It’s an ugly thing. Funny though that we as women say one thing, and mean another.
For instance, have you ever told someone they looked nice, when inside you thought critical things about their appearance? When was the last time you spent an entire day without one critical thing to say and without a mind jumping to negative or critical thoughts of others? Try it today, it might be eye opening for you too.
I think the thing that got me most was reading God’s word today about the subject of criticism. When exploring a word or topic that I may have read about before I often choose a different paraphrase to read from. Today I read from J.B. Phillips version out of Romans. I would like to share it with you…
Today’s Truth: from Romans 14
“The truth is that we neither live nor die as self-contained units. At every turn life links us to the Lord and when we die we come face to face with him. In life or death we are in the hands of the Lord. Christ lived and died that he might be the Lord in both life and death. Why, then, do you criticize your brother’s actions, why do you try to make him look small? We shall all be judged one day, not by each others standards or even by our own, but by the judgment of God. It is written: As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. It is to God alone that we shall have to answer for our actions. Let us therefore stop turning critical eyes on one antoher. Let us rather be critical of our own conduct.”
I think it speaks for itself, and today I encourage you to think of what it says.
Ask yourself the questions that Paul was asking,
- Why do you criticize others actions?
- Why do you try to make her look small?
In light of the fact that we are judged by God standards and not the cultural norm of being critical people…how should we now live?
Todays Prayer
Father, It is clear that you are not into people being critical of others. I am so sorry for how often I think critical things, unfair things of other people. Cleanse me from this as I desire to line my life up completely to your Word. Change me Jesus. Open my mind and heart to seeing the best, believing the best and removing any old judgment from my snapshot of people in my life. I don’t want to be ugly in heart Jesus, worse yet, I don’t want to be displeasing to You!
A quote from Oswald Chambers ~ “Criticism serves to make me harsh and cruel, and leaves me with the soothing and flattering idea that I am somehow superior to others. There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. Every time I judge, I condemn myself.”
A quote from me ~ “Search my heart, Lord, and through You allow me to see others as You see them.”