Criticism and Critics

At the gym where I work out there’s a guy who does a handstand and then proceeds to do push-ups from the handstand. I was surprised to hear someone else say, “He’s showing off”. It made me think that if you are living your life at a really high level or at a really low level then you are setting yourself up for criticism but if you are living your life at an average level you’ll be OK. Everyone wants to be average. Christians are supposed to be living their lives at really high levels in service to God, to each other and to the world. They are supposed to let their “lights shine brightly” so that people will be drawn to the light of Christ living in us. Unfortunately some will even criticize that. We have to be careful about being critical people. Criticism, done the wrong way, can be emasculating. I never thought that guy at the gym was showing off… it never entered my mind. Rather, it inspired me to be in better shape physically. We can choose to be inspired or we can choose to become critics. Inspiration builds us up… being critical tears us and others down. Choose which you want to be. Heaven will only be filled with those who let their lights shine and who help others to be illuminating.