Build Others Up - Criticism

Hello, my name is Jon Winkelman and I am your spiritual fitness coach.

We are going to talk about criticizing others.

Before you ask, this is not a how to video.

I am not going to explain how to criticize.

My goal is exactly the opposite.

Being critical is easy. In fact, for some of us, it comes quite naturally.

Whenever I am not careful, I catch myself drifting into a critical sarcasm.

It started as a way to be funny, lighten the mood, and get people relaxed.

But I have learned over the years that I can be particularly cutting if I am not careful.

And so, my wife lovingly and gently reminds me when I am getting a little to snarky.

Scripture addresses this in few different places.

One of those i s Luke 18:10-13.

Let’s first look at verses 10-12.

Luke 18:10–12 ESV

10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

Wow.

I mean.

You can just hear the snark rolling off of him.

Can’t you?

Talk about criticism.

He places the tax collector in the list with extortioners, unjust, and adulterers.

Yet he highlights his own greatness.

This is what lies at the heart of criticism. An inflated opinion of self.

I am not like other men, I am better.

His self-centered attitude simply highlights the humility of the tax collector even more.

Look at verse 13.

Luke 18:13 ESV

13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

This is the attitude we are to have if we would win over criticism.

We need to understand our need of God’s mercy!

We need to understand that apart from that mercy we stand condemned as sinners!

This proper view of self defeats criticism before it even gets started.

Now, let’s talk briefly about why this is so important.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

This is a command.

When we trust in Jesus we become brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are commanded by God to encourage and build one another up.

To be blunt, we cannot build one another up if we are being critical.

We cannot obey God’s command to build one another up while simultaneously tearing each other down.

We must deal with a critical nature by seeing ourselves as those in desperate need of God’s grace.

I am critical when I see myself as having everything together when others don’t.

What I need in those moments is to remember that I am a sinner in need of God’s mercy and grace.

God be merciful to me, a sinner.

And you know what, God is merciful.

Because God is merciful, I am able to build others up and not tear them down through criticism.

So. If we are to win over criticism, we must see ourselves clearly as those in need of God’s mercy.

When we do, we are able to build others up as God commands.