Criticism
209
Attempting to Cover Self by Attack—Let no one endeavor to
cover up his own sins by revealing the mistakes of someone else. God
has not given us this work to do. We are to leave others to humble
their own hearts, that they may come to the light of the knowledge of
God.—MS 56, 1904.
Wearing Nerves on the Outside—Those who criticize and con-
demn one another are breaking God’s commandments and are an of-
fense to Him. They neither love God nor their fellow beings. Brethren
[638]
and sisters, let us clear away the rubbish of criticism and suspicion
and complaint, and do not wear your nerves on the outside. Some
are so sensitive that they cannot be reasoned with. Be very sensitive
in regard to what it means to keep the law of God and in regard to
whether you are keeping or breaking the law. It is this that God wants
us to be sensitive about.—
The General Conference Bulletin, April 1,
1903
(
The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:937
.)
Counsel to One Who Mistook Pride for Sensitiveness—You
stand ready to justify yourself by the plea that you are so sensitive, you
feel so deeply, you suffer so much. I saw that all this will not excuse
you in the sight of God. You mistake pride for sensitiveness. Self is
prominent. When self is crucified, then this sensitiveness, or pride,
will die; until then you are not a Christian.
To be a Christian is to be Christlike, to possess humility and a meek
and quiet spirit that will bear contradiction without being enraged or
becoming insane. If the deceptive covering which is about you could
be rent asunder so that you could see yourself as God sees you, you
would no longer seek to justify self but would fall all broken upon
Christ, the only One who can remove the defects in your character and
then bind you up.—
Testimonies for the Church 2:573
(1870).
Honest Self-examination—Would all professed Christians use
their investigative powers to see what evils needed to be corrected
in themselves, instead of talking of others’ wrongs, there would be a
more healthy condition in the church today.
Some will be honest when it costs nothing; but when policy will
pay best, honesty is forgotten. Honesty and policy will not work
together in the same mind. In time, either policy will be expelled and
truth and honesty reign supreme, or if policy is cherished, honesty
will be forgotten. They are never in agreement; they have nothing in