40 Day Journey - Day 8

March 19
Fast From A Critical Spirit
 
Matthew 11:18,19
"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by her deeds."  

  John and Jesus were two different extremes - John hung out in the wilderness and would show up to preach a strong message of repentance. Jesus was usually easy to find (just look for the outcast and poor) and he preached a word of compassion.
 
  John had an unusual diet of honey and locust, Jesus had a common diet of what the common people of his day ate. John was dressed in a usual garment of camel skin;   Jesus wore the ordinary garments and sandals of his day. John preached a message of preparation for the coming Messiah, Jesus shared a message that he was the Christ.  
  John and Jesus were two very different individuals but covered with the same anointing. Those who were critical of them both were dumbfounded over what they both accomplished.
 
   In the end wisdom will always have the final say. When studying the recorded lives of these two men there is no doubt they each had God's anointing (the Holy Spirit) on their lives.  
 
  We, as believers, must not strive to please man in order to appease the critical spirit, but we must stay true to our calling and walk in the Spirit of God. Wisdom and truth always wins.  

Matthew 7:1-5
1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

Fast from a critical spirit – don’t allow your life today to conform to what others are saying about you and don’t allow your thoughts or words to become critical of another.