1 Sam 17:28-31

 

  28 But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. "What are you doing around here anyway?" he demanded. "What about those few sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!"

  29 "What have I done now?" David replied. "I was only asking a question!"30 He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer.31 Then David's question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.

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I have a message from the Centers of Disease Control.

 

Christ wants you to have the abundant life but there is a sickness that is attacking Christians or Disciples of Christ which stops them from enjoying that Abundant Life.  This sickness disproportionately attacks Christians.  This sickness is CONTAGIOUS.  This sickness is deadly.  This sickness is widespread.  This sickness can make you age at a faster pace.  This sickness will take years off your life.  This sickness will cost you your friends.  This sickness will scar your face.  This sickness will make you miserable.

 

This sickness is the CANCER OF A CRITICAL SPIRIT.

 

How do you overcome this cancer?

 

Here are a few steps, consider this your CHEMOTHERAPY:

 

1. REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT AS GOOD AT MIND READING AS YOU THINK.

 

In the scripture above, Eliab the brother of David was presupposing what David was thinking.  He was attempting to read the motives of David.  He thought David thought like he thought. 

 

Many times when you have the critical spirit, you begin to read the minds of others.  You assume the worst about people.  Many people who have positive intentions are shunned or distrusted.  Every negative experience is projected into the mind of the person that you are dealing with.

 

Remember that mind reading is a gift of God.  I have only personally known two people with that gift and one of them couldn’t even control it.  So be careful about reading minds.  You would be better off judging the tree by it’s fruit instead of your imaginary journeys into the other persons brain.

 

2. A CRITICAL SPIRIT IS NOT A SPIRIT THAT ACCOMPLISHES A LOT.

 

You could also call the CRITICAL SPIRIT CANCER, SISKEL AND EBERT DISEASE.  Why?  Because I ask, how many great movies have Siskel and Ebert ever made?  They have criticized quite a few but they have never made one.

 

Have you ever seen a statue or monument made for a critic?  Can you imagine the gravestone of a critic, “HERE LIES THE PERSON WHO CRITICIZED THE HARD WORK OF EVERYBODY ELSE?”

 

The next time that the Devil sneaks into your mind and you begin to criticize, remember that when your are taking time to criticize you are rarely doing what God called you to do.

 

Below is an incredible quotes about critics by a former president:

 

      “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

 Theodore Roosevelt quotes (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919)

 

3.  A CRITICAL SPIRIT IS NOT IN LINE WITH THE SPIRIT OF JESUS THE CHRIST.

 

Phil 2:3-5

3    Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4    Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5    Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

(KJV)

 

The next time the devil tries to get you to criticize, remember that Jesus was not a critic.  He spoke against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees but often time that was when they were attempting to hijack his ministry.  Jesus went around teaching the truth and ministering to people.  He was not a fault finder or a critic.  When we ask ourselves the question, “WWJD?”  The answer is not criticism.

 

4. OFTEN TIMES A CRITICAL SPIRIT COMES FROM SELF HATRED.  WE PROJECT OUR OWN HANG UPS WITH OURSELVES UNTO OTHERS.

 

 

Mal 2:1-2

CHAPTER 2

 

1    And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

2    If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

(KJV)

 

Matt 26:60-65

60  But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

61  And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

62  And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?

63  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

65  Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

(KJV)

 

The priesthood hated Jesus Christ because they could tell that he was an original, an authentic.  Deep inside they knew that they were frauds.  They were the greatest critics and “haters” of Jesus Christ because the counterfeit always hates the authentic.

 

 

5. A CRITICAL SPIRIT LACKS THE GRACE THAT CHRIST GAVE TO US.

 

Matt 6:15

15        But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

(KJV)

 

Matt 5:7

7          Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

(KJV)

 

Matt 18:28-35

28        But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29        And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30        And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31        So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32        Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33        Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

34        And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35        So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

(KJV)

 

Do you remember what Jesus delivered you from?  Obviously not, if you have allowed the CRITICAL SPIRIT to sneak upon you.  God gave you a break but the critical spirit will not allow you to give others that same break that He gave to you.

 

6. A PERSON WHO HAS A CRITICAL SPIRIT CAN NOT APPREHEND THE ABUNDANT LIFE BECAUSE THEY ARE FREQUENTLY JOYLESS AND UNHAPPY.

 

Luke 10:40-42

40        But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

41        And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42        But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

(KJV)

 

When you have love, you don’t need the “little rules of life”.  When you have forgotten love, the “little rules of life” are all important.  You are the only person who knows how to do things the right way.  You are the world’s greatest critic even of yourself.  This type of existence leads to a joyless and unhappy ending.

 

7. WHILE CRITICIZING OTHERS IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIX YOUR OWN FLAWS.

 

Matt 7:1-5

CHAPTER 7

 

1          Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2          For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3          And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4          Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5          Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

(KJV)

 

 

      “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.”

 Dale Carnegie quotes (American lecturer, author, 1888-1955)

 

Facing our own flaws and scars is a difficult challenge in life.  Many of us need a distraction from this daunting task.  The distraction that most of us find…is the other person’s failures.  As long as we are talking about the other guy, we don’t have to worry about us.

 

8. WHEN YOU ARE CRITICAL OF OTHERS...OTHERS WILL BE CRITICAL OF YOU.  YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

 

In the scripture below a king use to torture his enemies by cutting off his toes and thumbs.  Guess what happened to him?  He was captured and tortured in the same manner that he tortured others.

 

When you are always criticizing others…guess what happens to you?

 

 

Judg 1:1-7

 

CHAPTER 1

 

1          Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?

2          And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

3          And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

4          And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5          And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6          But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7          And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath