Before Needed Criticism — Gratitude
Conversations about worldviews include criticism. But first we have to be thankful for the grace people have received.
JIM TONKOWICH —
“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge — even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you — so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:4-9)
The Story
Paul was about to excoriate the Corinthian Christians for a whole host of sins: divisions, dissension, theological errors, the mistreatment of the poor, sexual immorality, and more. They deserved the criticism and they needed to repent. But repentance and the change that is part of repentance were not within the Corinthian’s natural powers any more than they are within your natural powers or mine. Repentance begins with God’s grace or it doesn’t begin at all. And so Paul expressed gratitude for the grace at work in Corinth. In doing so, he reminded the Corinthian Christians that, by grace, God gave them the ability to understand, to mend their ways, to live holy lives, and to persevere until the end. And in the end what matters is not Paul’s faithfulness nor the Corinthians’ faithfulness, but God’s faithfulness.
The Structure
Conversations about worldviews include criticism. The culture in which we live is disordered and distorted. Far too many Christians think that Christianity is little more than a bus ticket to heaven rather than a worldview that informs every part of a Christian’s life. Criticism is appropriate. Yet we must avoid becoming critical, unpleasant, and even cynical — easy traps to fall into. Giving thanks for the grace those around us have received from God will enable us to keep our equilibrium, grow in love for those we seek to influence, and increase the likelihood that we will be heard.
Next Steps
Who are you most likely to criticize? Bring that person or persons before God in prayer thanking him for the grace they have already received and asking him to grant them even more. N.B. Even nonbelievers have received common grace and the law written on their hearts. (Romans 1:18-23)
Adapted from: But First, Gratitude, by Jim Tonkowich, Colsoncenter.org, October 02, 2015 — Reprinted with permission.
