28 Oct The Difference Between A Critic and a Coach
Romans 2:1 – Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.
We’ve all been in a culture of judgment. The nitpicking, mocking, fault-finding, condemning, shaming, and judging is crushing.
A culture of judgment can settle in most anywhere – a family, a church family, a company, a friend group, a political party, or even a nation. A culture of judgment is the opposite of a culture of grace and leads to death instead of life. When this demonic spirit of judgment settles in, in my experience, 10 things happen:
Pride not humility
The focus is between good people and bad people, not God and sinners
Mistakes that are not sins are treated as sins
Conflict not peace rules the relationships
Division not unity is how people are organized
Entitled not thankful is the attitude carried by those who think they are “good”
Perfect or worthless are the categories so that as soon as you mess up you are tossed aside
Works not grace is the focus so that you have to keep performing to prove yourself
Beat down not built up is how people treat one another
Hiding, not owning, is how sins and struggles are dealt with as you will not come clean and try not to get caught
The difference between a culture of judgment and a culture of grace is the difference between a critic and a coach. Both a critic and a coach see your faults, flaws, and failures. The difference is not what they see – but rather what they say.
A critic wants to harm you.
A coach wants to help you.
It’s easy to be a critic like Satan the Accuser.
It’s hard to be a coach like the Spirit our Helper.
Who sees you as a coach? Who sees you as a critic?
To find the free Romans study guide for individuals and small groups, hear Pastor Mark’s entire sermon series on Romans, or find a free mountain of Bible teaching visit legacy.realfaith.com or download the realfaith app.
