Thoughtful Sin

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! Psalm 139:23

 

“He is such a jerk to her.” “If she disciplined that child she wouldn’t have these issues.” “Why would they appoint her to that position?” “He looks pretty good today.” “Where was her mother when she left the house this morning?” “I can’t stand to read her Facebook posts – she is always so whiney.”

Do you think things like this? I am sorry to say that I do, regularly!

The thoughts that run through my mind are not always negative but I feel like they are mostly critical. Yesterday was one of my more critical days and even I can hear how thoughtless (in my thoughts) I am being about a person. What I am wondering is if I need to confess it. I rarely verbalize these things and for the most part I think I tend to look at the positive rather than the negative.

Most of my thoughts are my own opinions about things.  Sometimes they reveal my prejudices or my weaknesses. I find myself more critical of things I could not or cannot do right, it’s why I pay attention to those things.

The scriptures certainly give us the freedom to form opinions and to be discerning about people, attitudes, and behaviors. Proverbs gives us warnings about how to choose friends, Proverbs 12:26 says, “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” So, I know that I need to be able to at least speak to myself about who is wicked and who is righteous.

The Proverbs talk about people who are angry, people who are over-indulgent, and people who are fools, not being the kind of company we want to keep. That makes me pretty sure that I may form these opinions.

So, why do I feel so badly about them? Why is the critical spirit a conviction for me? Two things have come to mind, one is that some of these things are none of my business. If a company promotes a person to a higher position, rather than assuming I know more than they do, I should think the better thing.  In their experience this person has earned the promotion and I should rejoice, not think I know they have made a big mistake.

The other thing that I have come up with is my own need to compassionately consider what is happening in the life of another person. Why would a young mother put up with terrible behavior unless she is unaware of how to discipline. Is she exhausted or grieving?  Why would someone, day after day, put complaints on Facebook? What must be happening in her heart? Does the Christian mother of a scantily clad young girl need to be approached about what her daughter is wearing? As for the guy who’s looking good today, I either need to acknowledge and dismiss that thought or pass on the compliment to encourage him and then forget about it.

My thoughts – your thoughts – are not the main problem — at least not initially. What we do with those thoughts is the problem. I may need to confess my lack of compassion as I observe things but I believe God wants me to discern what is righteous and what is wicked. I am only to act on the righteous.