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Faultfinders
by Jim King
When I think of faultfinding, I think of Judas Iscariot in Jn.12:1-8, who complained that Mary wasted the perfume she poured on Jesus' feet. A much better use of it, he reasoned, would have been to sell it, and give the proceeds to the poor. Or I think of the Jews in Jesus' day, who found fault with John the Baptizer because of his ascetic lifestyle, and yet were able to find fault with Jesus, even though they perceived Him to be exactly the opposite (Lk.7:31-35). Or I think of Naaman, who, not content to have found a prophet who could cure his leprosy, was outraged that he didn't do it his way (2 Kings 5:9-12).
Some people seem born with nitpicking complaints on their lips. There is no way to please them. But in truth, faultfinding is a learned trait that Christians must unlearn. 'These are grumblers, finding fault,' reads Jude 16. This supercritical behavior can be devastating when leveled against a fellow believer. It crushes initiative, hurts feelings, wounds relationships, and tempts sensitive disciples to think, 'I'll never try again.' It is a sin. The Golden Rule and the motivating principle of love (I Cor. 13) show it to be wrong. And Christians, of all people, should stop it.
Remember the motive behind Judas' faultfinding? 'Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it' (Jn. 12:6). Many faultfinders today are driven by envy, greed, or some other ignoble cause. Don't be a harsh, petty critic of your brethren. To do so is to make sure that God will find fault with you.
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