Today’s conversation on Back Porch Theology is both confessional and convicting because we’re talking about the difference between discernment – which can be loosely described as the ability to tell the difference between right from wrong - and criticism – which is primarily focused on finding fault in others. A young Christian recently asked me, “What’s the difference between ‘seeing sin’ in someone else’s life and confronting it, and having a critical spirit?” I told her I thought the key distinction between recognizing and confronting behavior that’s ungodly in someone else and criticizing others is the posture of our own hearts. Are we aware of other people’s mistakes because they trust us and have confided in us, or have we appointed ourselves as the “moral police” so as to justify examining blemishes in everyone else’s behavior? First Corinthians chapter five explains that part of our job description as ambassadors of Christ is to help restore those who’ve been tripped up by sin back into a redemptive relationship with God, not try to elevate ourselves by exposing other people’s flaws! If you feel like you’ve taken more than your fair share of lashes from a sharp tongue or you’ve got a tendency to nit-pick others yourself, we hope you’ll get some much-needed relief today or maybe even a necessary but non-condemning course correction. So please grab your favorite drink, a snack, and your Bible then pull your chair up to the porch – we’re really happy we get to hang out with y’all.

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Kicking Critical Spirits to the Curb