Beware Of Becoming A Faultfinder

By E. E. Wordsworth

    One of the most subtle, dangerous, and wholly uncertain habits of some professedly sanctified folk is that of habitual faultfinding. It is so easily acquired, and not readily broken. It is a harmful, disruptive, and damning practice.

    We must remember we live in an imperfect world and mingle with imperfect people – people with physical, mental, and spiritual infirmities. Everything is flawed and defective. Institutions, preachers, and laymen blunder and fall short of the ideal. Persons are erring creatures and their defects are glaring sometimes. It is easy to criticize and put wrong constructions on people and their operations. Unless we prayerfully guard the words of our mouths and refrain from speaking the thoughtless utterance we shall be dragged into the slimy pit of this soul-damning evil-speaking of others.

    Dr. Charles E. Jefferson wrote of the dangerous habit as follows: "One should not pay much attention to the faults of others, or the defects of the world in which he lives. He may become a chronic faultfinder, and in that case he will become a grumbler. If he is not careful, he will degenerate into a growler. And if he growls long enough, he will degenerate into a snarler, and in the end he will become a cynic.

    "When a man becomes a cynic, he has reached the bottom. There is nothing lower than cynicism. A cynic is of no account, either to himself or to anyone else. He is a nuisance and a stumbling-block. He did not intend at the start to become a cynic. He began by finding fault, and the habit grew on him until his mind became twisted and his heart grew sour."

    If you are a habitual faultfinder in the church, your duty is to repent of this terrible sin. After this, pray much, read your Bible, love everybody and look for good qualities rather than bad.

    – From Pillar of Fire.