Critical Comments

If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.  You might be needing forgiveness before the day is out.  Galatians 6:2 MSG

Really into the Message translation this year...such a fresh and unique way to hear God's word in a way that speaks to me differently.  

I am susceptible to being critical to others.  I judge them in my heart for making different choices than mine.  In part I suppose it's because I have always felt this need to make my own worthiness and have elevated how I think and act to be the "right way."  When you make yourself your God then you have to put all other ways down for yours to be supreme.  When you aren't supreme, you lose worth.  Thus all the ways that aren't mine are wrong, which really isn't true, but it helps me maintain some sort of imaginary significance.  

When reading this morning, God showed me a few things.  First that often what I take for another's sin, is not sin, but just a different way of doing than me.  But for the reasons I shared above, that becomes threatening to my sense of value so I'm quick to judge it.   

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. Romans 2:1

By judging someone else I am admitting I do them same things and what I do is wrong.   In actuality,  I am drawing attention to my own guilt.  

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
James 4:11-12

Not only do I judge myself, I blame the law as the wrong one, not me.  I sit over it, in arrogance saying that it isn't my fault but the law is to blame for mislabeling my sin, being too strict and hard on me.  That shows in my heart that I think I can earn my own way by following the rules and trying to bend them when I realize I can't do it.  

Like a self-centered child I point the finger at someone else or try and avoid my own failings by denying truth and God's standards.  

Galatians says my pointing out sin must be in a forgiving way.  A forgiving way is only achieved by realizing the facts that James and Romans point out.  I sin in the same way and there is no way I can achieve perfection--so when I look at my brother or my sister,  instead of seeing all the things I am pushing away I can see myself.  I can look with love and compassion on their struggle.  And the critical comments I make I save for myself.  In this part, God is not saying it's okay to be critical, just don't share it with others.  Instead He reminds me that if I am critical at all about another's person's sin, I should apply that same perspective to myself so I am humbled in how I love that other person.  Also, so I am able to be grateful to Him for His grace on how He has forgiven me as well.  

It's a wise way to live, walking in truth instead of self-deception.  Truth is truth, no matter what you choose to believe about it.  For you'll be grateful in how you treat others when you perceive their failings, as you may indeed be the need of it before the day is out...