Good morning everyone,

Galatians 6:1-3-Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

In watching television even outside of sports, it is amazing to me how many people have jobs to be critical. Constructive criticism is great and very helpful, but I believe our society has taken criticism to an ugly art form, all for the sake of being controversially recognized. From sports stars like Tim Tebow, now Jeremy Lin, you see "analyst" spending hours studying and scrutinizing an individual as if perfection is attainable.

Yet our society gives a window into the heart of us as Christians and questions us whether we spend too much time in the wrong type of criticism? To criticize without the desire to be constructive and helpful is not love, because the intent is simply to pick out flaws and tear down instead of build up and restore. This is why our goal as Christians must be to leave people feeling secure in who they are because of Christ, instead of insecure in who they are because they are human.

The world has no category for restoring people and considering themselves to be tempted like others because they are not spiritual. The only thing left to do as a carnal person is to criticize and tear down or be fake in false humility, because pride exalts itself in the midst of people’s flaws and failures. While being spiritual and full of love like Jesus, we need to think mercifully. We should know our own flaws and failures, but always be reminded how gracious Christ and the gospel is in building us up and never tearing us down.

In His Love, Ld