Matthew Chapter 7 Verse 1-3: 1Judge
not that ye be not judged. 2For with what measure ye mete, it shall
be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is
in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
John Chapter 3 Verse 17: For God sent not his son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved.
John Chapter 12 Verse 47: For
if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to
judge the world, but to save the world.
1 Corinthians Chapter 6 Verse 2-4:
2Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?
And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest
matters? 3Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more
things that pertain to this life? 4If then ye have judgements of
things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the
church.
Having read through the above
quoted scriptures, one might say the fourth (last) scripture quoted looks out
of place with rest and possibly opposes/negates the message being pushed
forward by the first three scriptural texts. Upon deliberate study and
meditation on the scriptures, it is clear that this is not so! And this is part
of the reasons for this article. May the Holy Spirit grant us understanding of
God’s word in Jesus name (Amen!!!).
Now, going back to the title of
this article and in particular the bolded word therein: CRITICAL. Critical in the context of this article is in reference
to the negative aspect of this tendency in the quintessential reality, both in
Christendom and outside of it, but with more emphasis on the brethren within
the faith. The critical nature referred to in the context of this article
borders on (but it is not limited to) cynicism which itself exudes (or gives
out) a negative energy.
The key difference between the
first three scriptures above and the fourth one, is the nature of the judgement
being doled out. Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:2-4, was referring to a good
type of judgement. This type of judgement is one that aims to correct, and
brings about a CONVICTION towards a wrong-doing. This type of judgement brings
about a positive change in lives, and thus, this is not the focus of our discourse
in this article. On the other hand, the first three scriptures point at
judgement that tends towards condemnation and is thus accusatory in nature.
This type of judgement is often tailored towards putting down others. It is often
borne out things like self-righteousness, hate, pride, and generally things
that are not part of the fruit of the Spirit. This judgement is often
self-serving. The sort of judgement apostle Paul refers to in the fourth
scripture quoted above, is borne out of Love: Love for God, Love for the
Kingdom, and Love for the brethren. The focal point of this type of judgement
is the three fold ministry assignment (with reference to RCCG digging deep manual
501 - 600, page 7, the army of the Lord part 2) namely; Ministry to
God, ministry to the brethren and ministry to the world. This type of judgement
is sacrificial in that;
1. It serves God’s interest
rather than our interest by promoting his ideals and will over ours
2. It serves the interest of the
brethren, by promoting positive change in their lives towards re-aligning them
with God and strengthening their standing in Christ, rather than putting
ourselves in the good books of particular individuals possibly for recognition
and favours.
3. It serves the world, by
setting a positive example of how we were/are intended to live (from the onset)
in God’s master plan, thus, it serves to draw them into the fold.
The devil is the accuser of the
brethren (Revelation Chapter 12 Verse
10). Criticism and judgemental tendencies are his tasks-at-hand. Imbibing
such is carrying out his mandate and bidding, thus, making one possibly his
agent (though unwittingly in most cases).
David’s life will give us further
insight into this subject matter. We will take a look at his life, first as a
follower/subordinate and then as a Leader.
AS A SUBORDINATE/FOLLOWER
He never criticised his leaders,
namely; King Saul, even though he had cause to. No wonder the scripture
admonishes us to pray for those that are in authority (1 Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 1-2). It is interesting to see David’s
response to Saul upon Saul’s attempt on his life in 1 Samuel 24. Paying
attention to verse 9 – 16, we see David’s direct utterance to Saul. He depicted
the kind of judgement in 1 Corinthians 6:2-4 and in verse 16 we clearly see
that Saul was pricked in his heart and he realised his wrongdoing. A lot
doesn’t need to be said about what transpired between David and King Saul.
Reading through 1 Samuel Chapter 24 – 28 will give a clear understanding of this.
AS A LEADER
David as leader wasn’t critical
rather he offered correction where the need arose. A clear case of this can be
seen in 1 Samuel Chapter 30 Verse 16 – 31. His response to the men who felt
that those who remained behind in the battle against the Amalekites shouldn’t
partake in the sharing of the spoils, is a clear example of what is being
discussed here.
1 Samuel 30 verse 23-24: 23 then said David, ye shall
not do so my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath
preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. 24
For who will hearken unto you in this matter? But as his part is that
goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they
shall part alike.
The tone and intent with which
the message was passed is clear to see. He didn’t do it out of high-handedness
and he made sure they all saw the reason behind his choice.
The fruits of the critical nature
are murmuring, back-biting, gossiping, sarcasm and the likes. One of the fruits
borne out of LOVE is CORRECTION, for whom you love you correct. Correction is
supportive, understanding and patient.
We should also take a cue from
Jesus’ style.
The story of Jesus and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) as well as that of Jesus
and the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) are
prime examples of what is really expected from us as believers on this issue of
judgement. What would have happened if Christ had gone all out condemning is
best left to the imagination. Jesus never condemned them nor rubbed their
misdeeds in their face, but at the end they were convicted of their misdeeds.
How do we do away with this nature?
1.
Watching
our Conversation: I Corinthians
chapter 15 verse 33 – Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good
manners.
Communication these
days transcends one on one conversation, it as well includes the kind of
information from the news outlets and media (both conventional and social
media) platforms, musicals and the likes. The issue of condemnation and
critical tendencies has become the trend everywhere, and it becomes quite easy
to get sucked into this trend. As a result, we now – more than ever – have to
be very circumspect in our reactions and what we act upon as well as being
overly selective on what we let in. to a large extent, we need to withdraw
ourselves from the negative influences.
2.
Modelling
Ourselves after Positive Biblical Characters: The bible is filled with
numerous role models after which we can model ourselves. It is a given that we
need not look beyond these biblical champions of our Faith starting from
Abraham, David, Daniel, Jesus, Peter and numerous others. Taking a deliberate
study of their lives and how they went about issues of the Faith will provide
us with a navigational guide.
3.
Be
slow to speak: We need to constantly evaluate our words before they are
spoken. Start evaluating each word carefully before speaking. The scripture
says in Matthew Chapter 15 verse 11: Not
that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of
the mouth, this defileth a man. The tongue is a little member of the body, but
if bridled, the entire body will put under control (James 3:2).
4.
Pray
for Empathy: Empathy, enables us to put ourselves in the shoes of others
and consider the circumstances that led them to where they are. It helps us get
a glimpse of what and how they are feeling.
Note: Empathy doesn’t lead us into
endorsing or justifying their actions but rather, it leads us into helping them
from a standpoint of understanding rather than high-handedness or
self-righteousness.
In all, we need
to come to the realization of the uniqueness and individuality of every one. We
should thus, avoid comparison and embrace uniqueness. We need to consciously
resist the urge to criticize and overtime it will become natural.
We also need to
limit ourselves to facts and certainties. Try as much as possible to do away
with assumptions, presumptions and second-guessing.
This article is by
no means exhaustive, and additional input, in form of contributions and
corrections will be greatly appreciated. Thanks and God bless us all!!!!
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