Good Morning My Friends! We have a treat today! We get to focus on the goodness in others, not their faults.
The Flaws of Faultfinding
Are you captiously critical of others? Are you often inclined to stress faults in others and raise objections with others? Then you may be suffering from faultfinding.
Faultfinding is a sneaky symptom or form of pride.
A faultfinder is one given to faultfinding, in other words if we are suffering from faultfinding, then we are:
- Hypercritical of others’ work or abilities
- Petty
- Nagging
- Picking at flaws
- Judgemental by unreasonably strict standards
You know, when we are faultfinders, we’re actually mean. Our hearts are suffering from petty selfishness. And that signifies a lack of humility.
Faultfinding drags people down. Faultfinding can actually cause a person to become discouraged and downcast. We know what happens when our souls become discouraged and downcast.
Sadness, depression, and gloomy spirits are not what we want to contribute to in another person.
We need to be like Jesus and stop finding faults in others.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5, NIV).
We have enough of our own faults. Perhaps we should heed God’s instructions about faultfinding:
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:4-5, ESV).
Let’s consider how we can intentionally reframe the way we view others.
Find Goodness in Others
Let’s start focusing on the goodness in others. There are lots of good things we can look for if we are intentional. We can look for whatever is:
- True
- Noble
- Right
- Pure
- Lovely
- Admirable
- Excellent
- Praiseworthy
In fact, God instructs us to intentionally look for these good things in others:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8, NIV).
Others will know we are faithful followers of Jesus by the goodness that pours out of us, not our faultfinding with them. Goodness is the evidence the Holy Spirit lives in you. It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22)
Let’s focus on:
- the best, not the worst
- the beautiful, not the ugly
- things to praise, not things to curse
Let’s stop nit-picking and being hard to please. Instead let’s start applauding others.
“So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault” (Romans 14:19, MSG).
Practical Application
Today, be intentional to push aside the flaws you see in those you come in contact with and train your brain to look for something that’s really cool about them, something they are really good at, or something that is really lovely about that person.
Here are some examples that may help get you started focusing on the goodness in others:
- If your mom makes breakfast for you and the bacon is kind of burnt, praise her for making bacon. Who cares it’s burnt? She took her time to make you breakfast. That is good!
- If your employee completed an assigned project and didn’t do it exactly as you would have done it, so what? Commend your employee for following through on the project. That is good!
- If the salesclerk at the store is going slower than you want him or her to go, thank the person for helping serve you today. That is good!
- If your child is fussing while helping with dishes, look and see, your child is helping. Commend him or her for helping. That is good!
Remember, we all have flaws. We’re all sinners. Let’s stop pointing out petty faults in others and today, let’s find the goodness in them.
Just for Today
Refrain from Fault-finding, Embrace Goodness in Others
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