Today’s Bible Verse

Look at him! He comes back after wasting your wealth on prostitutes and reckless living, and here you are throwing a great feast to celebrate—for him!

Luke 15:30 (TPT)

Exposing a Critical Spirit

If you read the title of today’s devotional and immediately thought, “Ohhhhh, this is going to be a good devotional, not for me, but a good one for someone else!”, you just confirmed that this devotional is for YOU. A critical spirit is in denial that it’s critical. A critical spirit is a subtle spirit. It can stay quiet and dormant for years. It begins to surface when the person starts to feel threatened in the position they hold. 

For example, let’s look at the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In Luke 15:11-24, there was a man who had two sons and the younger son asked his father for his inheritance. He leaves home, goes into the city, spends all his money on reckless living and losses everything. When the prodigal son comes home, his father has a big celebration for him. Everyone was happy that he was home, all except his older brother. 

“The older son became angry and refused to go in and celebrate. So his father came out and pleaded with him, ‘Come and enjoy the feast with us!’ “The son said, ‘Father, listen! How many years have I worked like a slave for you, performing every duty you’ve asked as a faithful son? And I’ve never once disobeyed you. But you’ve never thrown a party for me because of my faithfulness. Never once have you even given me a goat that I could feast on and celebrate with my friends as this son of yours is doing now. Look at him! He comes back after wasting your wealth on prostitutes and reckless living, and here you are throwing a great feast to celebrate—for him!’ “The father said, ‘My son, you are always with me by my side. Everything I have is yours to enjoy. It’s only right to rejoice and celebrate like this, because your brother was once dead and gone, but now he is alive and back with us again. He was lost, but now he is found!’” (Luke 15:28-32 TPT).

The older brother wasn’t upset that his younger brother was being celebrated; he was upset that he was never celebrated. The world teaches us that celebrations are earned; the Bible teaches us that a pure heart is what God celebrates. We find this critical spirit in the church today. Feeling entitled because you’ve accumulated all of your works and decided…you’re better than others because you do more than they do. It doesn’t bother you when others are celebrated, just as long as YOU feel they qualify to be celebrated, according to your standards. “Why is he/she a G12 Leader? They don’t even serve as much as I do.” “Why is her testimony being shared? I’ve been at the church longer than her.” “Why did my coworker get promoted and not me? He comes in late all the time.” 

Fake smiles, suppressed bitterness and a lot of superficial “praise-the-Lords”. Paul said, “Since each of you are part of God’s family never complain or grumble about each other so that judgment will not come on you, for the true Judge is near and very ready to appear!” (James 5:9 TPT).

Critical, religious, and prideful spirits routinely work together. They find fault with everyone else but themselves. The root cause of someone displaying a critical spirit is fear, insecurity and unresolved issues. A critical spirit attacks other leaders who sound and act differently because they operate under God’s authority. They harbor bitterness toward others and have a hard time forgiving them. (Samantha DeCorte)

An Uncommon Life

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.” (Matthew 7:1-5 MSG).

Get serious about your own sin. You’re wasting all this time criticizing others when you could be winning souls and being effective for the kingdom of God. It took about a year for David to realize he had sinned with Bathsheba. When he did, he genuinely repented. Anyone who has a blind eye to their own sin closes the door to the Holy Spirit revealing that it’s really you, and not them.

Today’s Declaration

Lord, I repent to You today for carrying a critical spirit. I break the chains of bitterness, entitlement, pride, fear and strife in my heart. I cry out to You, Lord, not because this devotional told me to, but because I am humble enough to acknowledge that my heart is not pure and my hands are not clean. Lord, purify my heart and clean my hands. I cry out in repentance and receive Your grace. I shut the door to sin and keep my focus on the promises of God. Amen. 

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: Exodus 10-12; Psalms 27
• New Testament: Matthew 12:1-21; Acts 17:1-15