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What’s the difference between having a critical spirit and practicing discernment?
Having a critical spirit is sinful. In another thread on CAF, I referenced Numbers 14, which tells us that the Children of Israel were forbidden to enter the Promised Land because of their bitter complaining.
Ephesians 4: 29 says “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
The classic Imitation of Christ is filled with reminders not to criticize and nitpick. Book Three, Chapter 19 “On Supporting Injuries and Who Is Proved to be Truly Patient” starts out with “What is it thou sayest, My son? Cease to complain, considering My Passion and the sufferings of the saints.”
Other saints talk about the sin of complaining. I’ve read a biography of Teresa of Avila that stated that she never complained, ever. She was cheerful and encouraging even when everything went against her. (And her cause, as most of you know, was just and right–the restoration of her order that had fallen into laziness and even sin.)
On the other hand, the Bible also speaks of being discerning. Our Lord told His disciples to be “shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Hebrews 5: 14 speaks of our “senses trained to discern good and evil.”
In modern times, we see daily what happens when Christians do not practice discernment. Many fall into sin. Some get tangled with cults and end up losing their faith in Jesus in order to follow after a mere man or woman. Some pick up strange doctrines and begin spreading these among Christians, resulting in confusion and factions.
It is vital that we are able to discern what is truly good and of God from what is evil and from the world, the flesh, or the devil.
But where is the line? How do keep our discernment “sense” sharp without crossing over into having a critical spirit?
On this forum, I see many people who seem to me to have crossed that line from “discerning” to “critical.” It seems that these people actually look for something to attack in Masses, parishes, music, practices, devotions, wardrobes, family times, etc.
One thing I have learned from CAF is that I don’t want to be like those people, always criticizing.
But OTOH, many of the concerns that they raise are legitimate. There are true “abuses” of the Mass, and there are definitely false doctrines, sinful practices, unwise uses of time, etc.
So I DO want to discern which things are worth taking a stand for or against, and which things I should just let pass.
HOW do I do this? How do I discern without criticizing?
Having a critical spirit is sinful. In another thread on CAF, I referenced Numbers 14, which tells us that the Children of Israel were forbidden to enter the Promised Land because of their bitter complaining.
Ephesians 4: 29 says “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
The classic Imitation of Christ is filled with reminders not to criticize and nitpick. Book Three, Chapter 19 “On Supporting Injuries and Who Is Proved to be Truly Patient” starts out with “What is it thou sayest, My son? Cease to complain, considering My Passion and the sufferings of the saints.”
Other saints talk about the sin of complaining. I’ve read a biography of Teresa of Avila that stated that she never complained, ever. She was cheerful and encouraging even when everything went against her. (And her cause, as most of you know, was just and right–the restoration of her order that had fallen into laziness and even sin.)
On the other hand, the Bible also speaks of being discerning. Our Lord told His disciples to be “shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Hebrews 5: 14 speaks of our “senses trained to discern good and evil.”
In modern times, we see daily what happens when Christians do not practice discernment. Many fall into sin. Some get tangled with cults and end up losing their faith in Jesus in order to follow after a mere man or woman. Some pick up strange doctrines and begin spreading these among Christians, resulting in confusion and factions.
It is vital that we are able to discern what is truly good and of God from what is evil and from the world, the flesh, or the devil.
But where is the line? How do keep our discernment “sense” sharp without crossing over into having a critical spirit?
On this forum, I see many people who seem to me to have crossed that line from “discerning” to “critical.” It seems that these people actually look for something to attack in Masses, parishes, music, practices, devotions, wardrobes, family times, etc.
One thing I have learned from CAF is that I don’t want to be like those people, always criticizing.
But OTOH, many of the concerns that they raise are legitimate. There are true “abuses” of the Mass, and there are definitely false doctrines, sinful practices, unwise uses of time, etc.
So I DO want to discern which things are worth taking a stand for or against, and which things I should just let pass.
HOW do I do this? How do I discern without criticizing?