Weekly Devotion

December 15, 2024

Distractions and the Critical Spirit

I am personally finding it difficult to concentrate on the development of my spiritual relationship with God amid all the distractions of life. I am most impacted by the critical spirit. I find myself wanting to distance myself from those who are displaying critical spirit. This is difficult to do because sometimes it is happening within my Christian spheres of influence and sometimes it’s coming from me.

Distractions are everywhere. I am noticing how the noise around me, social media and other technologies, general busyness in my life with friends and family, affect my relationship with God. I feel like my attention to my spiritual life lacks energy and momentum at times. What truly matters amid all the distractions and noise is my relationship with God and living out His purpose for my life.

But there is another subtle distraction that can creep into our hearts, one that can be just as destructive: the critical spirit. It is so easy to allow this kind of spirit into our lives. After a little research I found a definition of the critical spirit that identifies areas of my life that I can work on, “The critical spirit is the tendency to judge, scrutinize, or find fault in others. It often arises from insecurity, pride, or self-righteousness, and it can create divisions in relationships in the church and personally, hinder our spiritual growth, and keep us from seeing God’s grace in others.” If we are honest, we can all relate in some ways to this definition. Satan likes to use these attributes to create divisiveness in our lives.

A critical spirit is not just an external behavior, but a reflection of what is going on in our hearts. A critical spirit can easily blind us to our own faults and create a mindset of comparison and condemnation. It is easy to become so consumed with what's wrong in others’ lives that we forget to seek God’s grace for our own. Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:3-5 that before we point out the speck in someone else’s eye, we need to remove the log in our own. How many of us are guilty of pointing out the specks in someone else?

Both distractions and a critical spirit take our eyes off of Jesus. They prevent us from fully experiencing the peace and purpose that come from a focused life on God’s kingdom. Colossians 3:2 calls us to “set your minds on things above”, reminding us to shift our focus away from earthly concerns, including judgments of others or fleeting matters that may cloud our vision. It is very easy to be distracted from dwelling on what Paul talks about in Philippians 4:8 “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”. When our eyes and hearts are postured towards Jesus, we have no room for the devil’s tricks to distract us.

The problem with distractions and a critical spirit is that both cause us to forget who we are in Christ. They distort our view of God’s grace and hinder us from living a life of love, compassion, and peace. A distracted mind is more prone to judgment and negativity, whereas a heart that is fixed on Jesus is more likely to offer forgiveness, grace, and understanding. I am often reminded to put on the full armour of God Ephesians 6:11-12 “…for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”.

As followers of Christ, we are called to redirect our attention. Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” When we set our minds on things above, we begin to see life from God’s perspective. Our focus shifts from the frustrations of this world to the infinite love, mercy, and grace of God.

Instead of allowing distractions to control our thoughts, we can choose to meditate on God’s Word, His promises, and His character. Let’s pray for humility, seek reconciliation, and extend grace to others. When we resist distractions and the critical spirit, we open the door for deeper intimacy with God. Let us choose to fix our eyes on Jesus, allowing His love to transform our hearts and our relationships.

Written by Jodi Dyck