1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to 2 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: have you listening with us. Today's topic is on how 3 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: to break the critical spirit. We will turn with a 4 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. One Tip 5 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 1: to break a critical spirit written and read by Kelly Blari. 6 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in 7 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank 8 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: in your own? Matthew seven to three? Who does she 9 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: think she is? She's only on social media because she 10 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: wants people to see her, not because she really cares 11 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: about anyone or Jesus. She's really in it for herself, 12 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: and she wants everyone on line to know where she's traveling, 13 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: what she's doing, and how she's looking. My mind started 14 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: to go down this critical thinking track again, that is 15 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: until I stopped, and then I hung my head down 16 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: in shame. The hard truth is I have judged so 17 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: many I've sized up people's intent online. I have sized 18 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: up and surmised people's wrong motives. I've made verdicts about 19 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: people's hearts that only God can know. I have made 20 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: my heart hard towards people, even though doing the will 21 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 1: of God may be their motive. I've done this by 22 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: deciding they are doing it for attention, for public perception, 23 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: or for their own recognition. I hung my head down, saying, God, 24 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: what do I do now? Only God knows what I 25 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: need to do. But what I do know is that 26 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: I am judging what I am walking in, meaning I 27 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: think it's about them, But what I am seeing is 28 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: actually about me. Is worth me taking a second to 29 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: consider this. Why do you look at the speck of 30 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to 31 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: the plank in your own eye? Matthew seven three. If 32 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: I spot it, I likely got it. When push comes 33 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 1: to shop, or when truth comes to light, I am 34 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: doing what I'm judging. I am seeking attention. I sometimes 35 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: do things so others can see me. Here I have 36 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: wrong motives. No wonder, God has shut doors on me 37 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:45,839 Speaker 1: in his grace and love. He wants me to see 38 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: rightly so I can then move powerfully with a pure heart. 39 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: In his saying, now, he has created a special room 40 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: for me to examine my heart. I also see that 41 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: as I rectify my heart, there's a great hope for 42 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: great big yesses of opportunity from God. The truth with 43 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: all this is. Other people's motives is not my issue. 44 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: My motive is what they do is none of my business. 45 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: Now I can see I have been wrong, dead wrong. 46 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: But now I turn back to Christ. As I've repented 47 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: this critical spirit and my wrong motives, they are removed 48 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: as far as the east is from the west. Here 49 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: I can do a new thing to defeat a critical spirit. 50 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: I can bless instead of distress about others. What does 51 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: this look like? It looks like one noticing when I'm criticizing, 52 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: Two stopping that mental track, three ditching making people my business. 53 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: Four praying a blessing over them instead. Essentially I can stop, 54 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: bless and then progress onward. Motives are not my business. 55 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: Me keeping a pure heart, that's the business I am 56 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: to be about. Intersecting faith and life. When do you 57 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: find yourself judging or critiquing people? How might God want 58 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: you to adjust course? What would it look like for 59 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: you to bless those who curse you? What would it 60 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: look like for you to let go of things or 61 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: people you cannot control? The Crosswalk devotional is a production 62 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: of Life audio and Salem media. If you liked what 63 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: you heard today, please take a second to rate and 64 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: Review this podcast in your favorite podcast app so that 65 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: more listeners like you can find the show. For more 66 00:04:49,839 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: faith filled, inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com.