“How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye”. Matthew 7: 4-5 (CEB)
Whenever you catch yourself criticizing another’s words or behavior, it would serve you well to examine where the criticism is coming from, paying special attention to your motives. Why are you voicing disapproval? Are your words meant to build up or tear down? Are they inspired by love and a heartfelt desire to help?
If not – then perhaps you should just be quiet.
2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches; Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Self-righteousness, however, is not from God. It is puffed up and born from pride. Its roots are evil and it is incapable of bearing good fruit.
There are few things more brutal than an unchecked tongue in the mouth of a self-righteous person. Verbal beat-downs are rarely meant for good, and they are particularly harmful when administered by “mature” Christians ostensibly to correct new believers in the body of Christ. You are not helping. You’re driving them away. Only gentle criticism, delivered in humility can help anyone.
Building yourself up by stepping on the back of another person will Never Please God… and it doesn’t please anyone else either.
I was taught if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all!
Kindness is it’s own reward, but cruelty is a self-inflicted wound. Proverbs 11:17 (The Voice)
I’m pouring my heart out and linking up with Things I Can’t Say.
February 21, 2013 @ 10:35 am
Holding my tongue can be such a hard thing, especially when I feel like my family has been cheated or wronged. Thanks for this great reminder! Stopping by today from #PYHO
February 20, 2013 @ 1:39 pm
I was taught that as well and if more people taught it to their children nowadays, maybe we would be a whole lot better off. Better yet, adults need a re-teaching of this. Now people seem to think that on cyberspace, in particular, they can still say anything. So wrong.
Thank you for writing on how to be nice, how to love.
Barbara
February 20, 2013 @ 2:39 pm
Hi Barbara, I think you hit it spot on. A lot of adults could definitely use a re-teaching!
February 20, 2013 @ 9:28 am
This is something I have to work on!
February 20, 2013 @ 10:48 am
I have to constantly bridle my tongue too, Shell. 🙂
February 20, 2013 @ 9:11 am
Thank you for pointing out that, “If you don’t have something nice to say…don’t say anything at all…” is NOT just for kids.
It is something we should all go by.
February 20, 2013 @ 10:47 am
I think we should at least try