Read Ephesians 4:25-32 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
God pays attentions to how we treat each other. Moses could have written a book on how to cope with critical people. As the Exodus leader of the masses out of Egypt, Moses endured far more criticism than he deserved. In Numbers 14, we read how God condemned people to die in the wilderness because of their incessant murmuring. When Moses’ own family picked up the sour song. God came to Moses’ defense. To Miriam and Aaron, He said, “Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed” (Numbers 12:7-9).
In other words, who do you think you are to raise your voice in criticism against Moses?
Notice God’s deep feelings. He didn’t wait for explanation, and they didn’t wait long for the consequences (Numbers 12). Obviously, we want to soften the judgment and call criticism a weakness or a bad habit. Criticism is both, but God also calls it a sin.
Listen up – if you have a critical attitude, it is also hindering your fellowship with God. If your spiritual life is like a wilderness – dry, dead, cheerless, and joyless – maybe it’s because you’ve allowed a critical attitude toward a person or a group of people to sour your life. It’s a choice that not only injures your relationship with that person, but also with God. When God says, “Don’t criticize,” it’s not because He is trying to deprive us of some satisfactory experience. He is saying, “That goes against the nature of who I have made you to be.” Fish were made to swim, birds to fly, people to live in fellowship with God. When we sin, we break our fellowship with God. We hinder our human happiness, and life becomes like a wilderness.
-James MacDonald-
Responding - Am I exhibiting a critical attitude? Toward whom? How is that attitude affecting my fellowship with God?
Following – A critical attitude breaks our fellowship with God.
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