DEALING WITH THE CRITICAL NATURE

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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