“A CURE FOR A CRITICAL SPIRIT” (Luke 14:11)

June 30^th, 2000

Int.      There is nothing more distasteful than to see someone always “criticizing another peoson”

1.         Someone has said: "The person who constantly sings his or her own praise hits a lot of sour notes."

2.         MARTIN LUTHER said: "Never is a person more unfit than when they think themselves most fit and best prepared for their duty. They are never more fit than when most humbled and ashamed by a sense of their unfitness."

3.         Like the Pharisees, some folk love the preeminence.

            a.         (Luke 11:43) "Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets."

4.         (Prov 16:18-19) "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. {19} Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."

5.         "It is better to lend a helping hand than to point an critical finger."

6.         (Prov 15:1) "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

7.         Blunt people can get to the point quickly.

8.         There is an old Japanese Proverb that says: “One kind word can warm three winter months.”

9.                     A train was filled with tired people. Most of them had spent the day traveling through the hot dusty plains and at last evening had come and they all tried to settle down to a sound sleep. However, at one end of the car a man was holding a tiny baby and as night came on the baby became restless and cried more and more. Unable to take it any longer, a big brawny man spoke for the rest of the group. "Why don't you take that baby to its mother?" There was a moment's pause and then came the reply. "I'm sorry. I'm doin' my best. The baby's mother is in her casket in the baggage car ahead."

Again there was an awful silence for a moment. Then the big man who asked the cruel question was out of his seat and moved toward the man with the motherless child. He apologized for his impatience and unkind remark. He took the tiny baby in his own arms and told the tired father to get some sleep. Then in loving patience he cared for the little child all through the night.

10.       One pastor had a rather crude member who liked to go out visiting people. But he was rather crude, so the pastor gave him a list of delinquent church members and some church stationary and told him to write letters to all those who haven't been coming.

Several weeks later the church secretary received a letter from a lawyer with a check inside for $1000. And enclosed was this note:

"To whom it may concern. I received your letter and I want to remind you that there is only 1 "T" in dirty and no "C" in skunk."

11.  

See: Eph 4:1-3