[190 words]
When I was a young preacher, I traveled to several small churches to fill-in for vacationing preachers. In one smaller church, I was bringing a message of joy. To make a point, I rapped on the pulpit. Suddenly, a cloud of yellow jackets buzzed out. Three or four made their point on my body. As you might expect, I do not like yellow jackets.
Yellow jackets remind me of people who are constantly criticizing others. They, like yellow jackets, hurt whoever they sting with their abundant criticisms.
Did you know that such fault-finding is a sin—as evil as the faults that fault-finders find? Jude speaks to the sin of “fault-finding” in Jude 1:15-16 (best read in the NIV).
Jude uses pretty graphic phrases to describe these individuals. He calls them “ungodly sinners” and “malcontents” (RSV).
Instead, we should use our voices to encourage and uplift our brothers and sisters.
As the Bible reminds us: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).
Larry Fitzgerald