From the time we were a child, until now, we know all too well what criticism feels like. Sad to say, but children are among the worst at this. From some of our earliest memories to our presence today, criticism is heard by us all too often.
It is not just the words that hurt when we hear them. But the feelings that we endure, are what makes criticism so terrible. When someone gives us a criticism, sure we experience sad emotions. The fact that those sad emotions can linger for days, weeks, or sometimes longer, highlights the severity of what criticism does to us.
What bothers us, too, is that not only do we receive criticisms, but we dish them out to others. We are guilty. We are responsible for hurting others. Try as hard as we may, but sooner or later, those sharp words of criticism flow from our lips. “Wouldn’t be nice if we could find wealth as easily as we find fault? We would all be rich” (Apples of Gold). Yes. It is so easy to find fault with other people. That fleshly nature, we received at the Fall of man, is ever so present in us all.
King Solomon knew all too well that we need to be careful what we say. He gave us wise counsel, when we said: “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7, NKJV). If we could only learn to keep our mouth shut versus opening it with cutting words.
Our goal as Christians is to be like Christ. He is our model. He is the One we want to follow. Just know that avoiding cutting words is impossible on your own strength. Christ sent Someone to help you in your daily living here on earth. Christ sent the Holy Spirit as our Helper in living the Christian life. In His power cutting words are eliminated!
