A DANGEROUS HABIT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 6, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 27.

A DANGEROUS HABIT.

FAULTFINDING is simply Pharisaism. Any one can be a faultfinder, because imperfection is everywhere on the surface. Therefore, the chronic faultfinder has a very easy job, and when his religion consists in picking flaws in the work and ways of others he has a religion whose practise requires very little effort, because there is no self-denial in it. The faultfinder's ever-ready excuse for not helping in the work is, that things aren't going right; some one is not doing as he ought to do, and those who are bearing the burdens and responsibilities come short of being what they ought to be. The very reason why he ought to help and to be forward in doing is his excuse for not doing.

The faultfinder's continual criticism of those who are endeavoring to do something, much or little, is a standing proclamation of his own holiness, his own ability to see the right. In all this he condemns his own do-nothing policy (the chronic faultfinder is always a do-nothing progressively); because if he is so far-sighted as his criticisms virtually claim, he surely ought to be foremost in every good word and work, whether he is appreciated or not; but he is not forward in good works, because he is always on the negative side of every progressive question. Moody, the evangelist, once said: “I never saw a man who was aiming to do the best work whose work might not be improved in some respect, but to contract the habit of constantly finding fault is very damaging to spiritual life; it is about the lowest and meanest position a man can take.”

Besides, the habit of adverse criticism so warps the mind that it soon becomes incapable of correct judgment as to right or wrong. Even the perfect Christ becomes an agent of Beelzebub through the imperfect vision of the chronic faultfinder. Matt. 12: 22-24. The danger of such a course is emphasized by our Lord, in His sermon on the Mount: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matt. 7: 1, 2.