Too much criticism leads away from right path

Criticism comes faster than thought in most cases. It is a mundane thing the average person does on a daily basis.

However, it is a fact that in the spiritual world, nothing can be accomplished by criticism and condemnation. God created us to be images of him and to walk in love.

In John 15:12 he says "Love others as I have loved you." Every day, he will put people in your life who are different and who, for some reason or another, you may not necessarily like.

Different or not, it is our job to walk in love and accept them for who they are. It is good to practice acceptance on a regular basis.

I personally believe every human has good in them because they were the creation of God. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works…" (Ephesians 2:10).

We are all created equal in God's eyes, so what right does any one person have to judge someone else?

To be honest, it seems as though a lot of Christians are the most sharply critical individuals. This might be because we know what God expects as well as the difference between right and wrong in the spiritual realm. However, it is impossible to be in good fellowship with God when you are being a judgmental critic of others. Jesus says that as his disciple you should not have a temperament that is critical.

It is not the job of humans to be judgmental. That is God's job. We are told that one day, we will have to be accountable to God and not others. "So then each of us will give an account to God" (Romans 14:12) Therefore, if you judge people, you are just as guilty as the person you are condemning. When we condemn others, we are condemning ourselves according to the Bible. In Romans 2:3 it says "So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?" "With what judgment you judge, and with the measurement you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:2)

When we walk in the light of God and love others we are setting a good example. It allows us to be encouraging to all people, especially other Christians. Christians should play a key role in building up one another. "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

God created diversity as a gift. Sure, we might not always get along with everyone. Nonetheless, we should not be criticizing and using harsh forms of judgment towards one another. "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of bitter behavior. Instead be kind to each other…" (Ephesians 4:31-32) All people are different but we are all the same in the fact that God created each and every one of us to be equal. I can only hope that as a campus, we serve as a body that encourages others and builds each other up.