Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. —Colossians 4:6
God could throw the book at me at any time. But He won’t—that is, unless He sees me pointing my finger at somebody else. Then God will say, “Sorry about this, RT, but I must step in and deal with you. You should know better.” God Himself will see that I am judged if I judge others.
It has often been said that a little bit of learning is a dangerous thing. Sometimes a little bit of spirituality is a dangerous thing as well, because one may be just spiritual enough to see what is wrong in others—and to point the finger. The true test of spirituality is being able not to point the finger!
You may say, “Well, I have to say something, or nobody else will!” So what if no one else does? The person you are judging doesn’t want to hear it, so you are not really helping anyway. When he is judged, he usually will feel worse but not change his behavior.
Consider the atmosphere you live in when it is devoid of criticism. How pleasant it is when we all live in harmony! (See Psalm 133:1.) It is so sweet and so good. Now consider the pain that follows when someone is critical to you. If you don’t like being criticized, don’t criticize others! A lot of grief could be spared if people would learn to control their tongues.
Jesus Himself said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matt. 12:36). That is enough to scare me into watching what I say!
Excerpted from Total Forgiveness (Charisma House, 2002).
