Throughout my years in school, I spent a considerable amount of time completing standardized tests. I know that there are many views about the worthwhileness of those tests, but, as weird as it sounds, I always kind of enjoyed them. It was a break from the normal instruction, and I was always intrigued by what the results would say. It was a way to identify areas of strength as well as areas of possible improvement.
One area that consistently came up as a strong suit for me was “critical thinking.” This wasn’t a surprise since I loved puzzles, conundrums, and figuring out solutions to problems. Still, it was nice that Educational Testing Services confirmed my own perceptions. I learned, however, that having a critical mind was considered a benefit to the standardized test preparers, it was not always thought of the same way by my friends. It was one thing to solve problems; it was another thing when people thought you were trying to “solve” or fix them.
Thankfully, I have grown to understand that there is a difference between having a critical mind and a critical spirit. The first is necessary for discernment and wisdom; the latter is destructive to relationships. Christians should want to be able to evaluate truthfulness from falsehood, but at the same time we should desire to be a light to others, not a shadow of darkness and doubt. When we take a propensity towards critical thinking and use that to routinely criticize people, we have taken a good gift and misapplied it. If we want to avoid this, here are three things that we can do:
1. Give others the benefit of the doubt
When we make mistakes, and even when we sin, we are prone to think about the situation based upon our intentions rather than our actions. For example, if I am short-tempered with the clerk at the grocery store, I may recognize that I did not honor God with my response, while at the same time acknowledging that my lack of sleep is probably what inclined me to be careless with my words. I did not intend to be grumpy, and while this doesn’t justify my response, it may (in my own mind), explain it.
When we consider others, however, we are quick to dismiss intentions and examine their actions. Part of this is understandable as we may not be privy to the reasons why they behaved how they did. However, often we fail to even consider that their actions may not tell the entire story of their response. Let’s resist this tendency – never excusing sin (in our lives or in others) – but responding to the mistakes and foibles of others with the same type of grace that we would like extended to us.
2. Distinguish preferences from convictions
Another way to fight the propensity of a critical spirit is to be clear about what we believe to be the right way to do things, and what the Bible says is the right way. There are a lot of things in our lives that we believe to be “right” based on our culture, our experiences, and our upbringing. However, many of these things are not based on Scripture but based on personal values and proclivities. I experienced this in a rather humorous way when I was in college. We were having a “roommate dinner” and I was in charge of preparing the bread. There were 4 of us who lived together, and we each had a different opinion on the “right” way to heat up and butter the loaf we had purchased . Obviously, there were reasons each of us thought our way was the “best” way but choosing any of them would not have violated Scripture. It was a matter of preference, not of conviction.
What is clear from Scripture, however, is that when I am faced with differences of opinion, how I respond to those differences can be honoring to God or not. In matters that are inconsequential for eternity, my willingness to put others’ desires in front of my own, can make a difference for the sake of God’s Kingdom. This is why Paul could write that he “became all things to all people” (I Cor. 9:22). In matters that were not salvific, he was willing to distinguish preference from conviction, and give up what he preferred that he might win others to Christ. When we emulate this example, we can look at issues critically and resist the temptation to consider people through the same lens. We should never compromise the Truth of God’s Word, but we should always be willing to compromise on lesser things if through doing so, we can bring glory to Christ. When we are willing to give up what we prefer for the sake of someone else, we honor them as image bearers of the Most High God, a distinction worthy of deference and grace.
3. Strive to build others up
Lastly, if we want to have a critical mind without having a critical spirit, we will endeavor to regularly and intentionally build others up. It is hard to tear people down if you are committed to elevating them. This isn’t permission to engage in manipulative flattery – the Scripture expressly forbids that (Proverbs 26:28), – but it is a commitment to not only look for the good in people, but to encourage them in it. I know my own frailties, but I’m not more equipped to overcome them by someone constantly and unhelpfully pointing them out. Instead, when others acknowledge what I do well – how I am honoring God and bringing glory to Him with my life – I am more inclined to spend more time focused on these things. And when I am focused on glorifying God more, I will, as a natural result, be doing less of that which displeases Him. When we take this principle and apply it to others, we recognize that the more we encourage and exhort people in the good that we see God doing in their lives, the less our attention and our words will dwell on the ways that they haven’t lived up to our expectations of them. And what is a critical spirit but unlovingly pointing out the ways that others have failed us?
Thinking critically is good. Jesus used the example of the military leader and the builder who failed to critically consider what they needed to point out the foolishness of the person who says they want to follow Christ without considering the costs (Luke 14:28-33). However, when we allow our pattern of thinking to control our spirit, rather than letting the Spirit of God guide our thoughts, we are unlikely to consider or interact with others in ways that please our Savior. It is our job to adorn the Gospel of Christ (see Titus 2:10, I Peter 3:3-4) and a critical spirit has never beautified anything. Therefore, let us strive to be people who think critically about the issues, who rightly handle the Word of God, but who resist the temptation to develop a critical spirit. As J.R. Miller eloquently stated, “it is better to have eyes for beauty than for blemish.” May our eyes be fixed on the beauty of Christ and the ways that those who bear His image display it in their lives.
