1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is on how to stop 4 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 2: being overly critical. We'll return with the devotional after a 5 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 2: brief message from our sponsors. Five Steps to Stop being 6 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 2: Overly Critical, written and read by Kelly Blari. Above all, 7 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 2: love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of 8 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 2: sins one Peter four eight. Have you ever been heard 9 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 2: by an authority figure? I remember it almost clear as day. 10 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 2: I was in third grade. Somehow the teacher always seemed 11 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,040 Speaker 2: proud of her classroom power. I like to talk. I 12 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: didn't like talking, And there I went. I started up talking. 13 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,919 Speaker 2: My punishment, she had me kneel before a statue on hard, 14 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 2: cold linoleum for hours, or for what felt like hours. 15 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 2: It hurt. It was embarrassing. Here amongst other times like this, 16 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 2: I learned something. You can't trust everyone in a position 17 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 2: of spiritual authority. Just because they have position or power 18 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 2: doesn't mean they'll use it for good. As a kid, 19 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 2: I took the lesson and stuffed it deep in my pocket. 20 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 2: Be careful, Kelly, you may get hurt. Even holy people 21 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 2: can't always be trusted. I started to keep my antenna up. 22 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 2: I won't get hurt or embarrassed like that again. Safety 23 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 2: now became hyper awareness. As I talked to people in 24 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 2: any authority, I'd ask are they speaking truth? Do they 25 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: have the right motives? Will they dupe me? Are they 26 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 2: living what they say? Or are they a fraud? Are 27 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: they trying to profit for themselves? And do they even 28 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: really care? In an effort to protect myself from future hurt, 29 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: I started to live as a constant judge, a critic, 30 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 2: a person continually sizing up good or bad, right or wrong, 31 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: theologically correct or a good person. People became either good 32 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 2: or not so good. One morning, something hit me. I 33 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,839 Speaker 2: can't be loving when constantly judging. Above all, love each 34 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 2: other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins 35 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 2: first Peter four eight. God doesn't require me to figure 36 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: everyone out. He calls me to love. God doesn't ask 37 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: that I know every motive. He asks that my highest 38 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 2: motive be love. Love is powerful. Love actually covers, it 39 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: does something. It is a cause that will always have 40 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 2: an effect. Yet a critical spirit, it can easily hide 41 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 2: under the guise of good intent while being all wrong. 42 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 2: Jesus was not a fan of the Pharisees who showed 43 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: themselves pious, but underneath we're void of true understanding. What 44 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 2: can we do instead? I can one pray that I 45 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 2: can see what God loves in each person. Two authentically 46 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: bless them in prayer. Three, encourage them where they may 47 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 2: need help or ministry. Four, believe and hope the best 48 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: about them. Five love them anyway. The highest understanding is love. 49 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 2: The highest pursuit is love. We don't have to entirely 50 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 2: know a person to love. We don't have to have 51 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: it all figured out to love. Love is simple. Judging 52 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: is complex, plus it is a lot to uphold. It's 53 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 2: a lot to manage. It keeps a heart guarded. It 54 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: blocks God's outpouring love and sin covering love. At the 55 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: end of the day, being critical doesn't keep us safe. 56 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 2: God is the only protector, and when we trust him 57 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 2: to protect us, we can begin to love others, even 58 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 2: when it may feel scary. Will everyone treat us right? 59 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 2: Will everyone do us right? Not at all? But do 60 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 2: we always act right and always do right? 61 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: No? 62 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 2: We don't. Still we love the way Jesus loved us. 63 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 2: Intersecting faith and life, where do you find yourself judging 64 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 2: more than you are loving people. How might believing the 65 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 2: worst about others be preventing you from seeing their best? 66 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 2: Identify ways that your judgment has impacted relationships. What would 67 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 2: it look like for you to do something new? Thanks 68 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 2: for listening to today's devotional. 69 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: If you liked what you heard today, we want to 70 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: make sure you know about our sister podcast your Daily Prayer. 71 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: You follow your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app, 72 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 73 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: so your days begin in conversation with God. If you're 74 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: looking to grow in prayer or start your day with 75 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: your heart focused on the right things, search for your 76 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: daily prayer in your favorite podcast app and be sure 77 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: to follow the show so you get a new prayer 78 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: delivered straight to you each morning.