sermonette: Criticism: The Foolish Habit
Criticism Stems fFom Jealousy, Pride, and Hypocrisy
Clyde Finklea
Given 28-Jan-06; Sermon #757s; 15 minutes
Description: (hide)
Clyde Finklea, focusing upon the pernicious quality of human nature to criticize or find faults with others, emphasizes that criticism is the antithesis of love. Unfortunately criticism seems to be a way of life in our society, motivated partly from a latent inferiority complex (stemming from pride, jealousy, or envy) allowing us to have a false sense of superiority over others. Miriam’s criticism of Moses indicated that she (like many of us) may have had her sense of perspective badly distorted, losing her fear of God (and causing others to distort their perspectives as well), failing to realize that God had made the decision to put Moses in charge. Our criticism of others within God’s church has the potentiality of stunting our spiritual growth. Interestingly, both Miriam and Job’s friends could not be returned to God’s grace until they were prayed for by Moses and Job respectively. Ironically, we often try to hypocritically correct others when we are as guilty or guiltier as they are of the same offense. Nothing neutralizes the critical fault-finding spirit more than fervent prayer in behalf of another person’s weakness coupled with a thorough self-examination. A popular song, as well as an old Lakota Proverb suggests, “Never criticize someone else until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.”
Topics: (show)
Critics Criticism Fault-finding Forgiveness Golden rule Golden rule in the negative Hypocrisy Job’s friends Miriam Judging Love chapter Love Prayer Self-examination Tolerance “Walk a Mile in my Shoes”
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