“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.” Matthew 7:1-2 (The Message)
Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas are two of the key players in America Christmas culture. They represent the negative flow and critical spirit that fights against the glad tidings and great joy which IS Christmas.
Hate to say it but church people are often caught up in this negative flow. Jesus talked about the religious people of his day “straining gnats and yet swallowing camels.” (Matthew 23:24) Many church people tend to see everything through “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” glasses. We are quick to categorize things as bad – that’s bad, this is good. In the Garden of Eden, God told Adam and Eve to stay away from that tree because it’d strip them of their innocence and they’d start pointing fingers at others.
The other tree in the garden was the tree of life. Imagine what the world would be like today had Adam and Eve only ate from that tree. Stay near the tree of life today as you interact with others.
PRAYER: Lord, I repent for having a critical spirit at times. Forgive me for pointing out the speck in my brothers eye and being oblivious to the log in my own eye. Help me stay near the tree of life as I interact with the people around me. Amen.
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