Criticizing

Yesterday, during the Sunday service, my pastor, D.B., preached on the subject of Reconciled and at Peace, which based on Romans 3-21-31.

He agreeably quoted someone's statement (which I couldn't catch who). He said that the opposite of anger is not love, but hatred. I couldn't understand this statement. But I don't think it's true.

A while back, my other pastor, Tim Keller, also touched about love and hatred. He told us that the opposite of love is not hatred, but indifference. I couldn't agree more to that statement, for often in anger and hatred consist love. But in indifference, you practically don't really care.

This made me criticize my pastor, D.B., who I don't think give the right understanding to the congregations.

Frankly speaking, I criticize people a lot. What I mean "a lot" is A LOT! You may say, I criticize every single person I meet. Negative or positive? Mostly negatives. Do I enjoy it? I couldn't say "yes", for often, these thoughts bother me a lot and hold me back from loving them, which cause grief instead of joy in me. Could it be that my criticisms are caused by my jealousy and self-righteousness?

A long time ago, I remember a friend of mine said, "If you criticize someone's fault, you also have that fault in yourself."

I asked my husband if he agrees. At first he said, "Sometimes", and he continued on saying, "For most people, at most of the time, it's true." It means, at some cases, when someone criticize others, that person don't have that faults in him/her, which is very rare.

So, what should I do? Should I not criticize at all then? Just like lots of people like to say, "Don't judge, or you'll also be judged." But that's is very lame. I strongly disagree when people say that. Because it means, no one is guilty. If no one is guilty, then there is no justice. If there is no justice, then there is no right or wrong. If there is no right or wrong, then there is no hope. If there is no hope, then everyone ends in despair. (D.B.)

Therefore, it is not wrong to criticize. However, there is only one right way to do when we criticize... Be forgiving to others, yet be strict to yourself.