My Greatest Adversary

By Emily Bansuelo

I wanted to write this blog about the recent shocking reveal of my beloved Renee Zellweger. She is one of my favorite actresses, so when I was watching Entertainment Tonight and saw a picture of a random woman who they said was Renee, I literally could not believe it. I was ready to write about how as a young woman I can point out my own flaws, so I can’t even imagine how the pressures of Hollywood could bring someone to make face altering decisions. I was ready to write passionately about how horrible of an example our culture is setting for us. How could Renee do such a thing?How can they do this to us? I was ready to make the point that we should be confident in how we were made in our Creator’s image rather than investing our college funds or going into crazy debt to get the face, butt, tummy, or boobs we want. (Insert deep breath here) We should fight the system of plastic surgeries! FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!!! (Now picture me jumping on my kitchen table) How can people do such horrible things?  I am fired up! And my blood is pumping. Then…. Something happened…

I heard my husband reading Matthew 7 in the other room, and this feeling of sweet conviction began gripping my heart. Jesus said with such passion in verses 1-5,

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.”

There are so many more stories that have been making their way round the tabloids. Stories that are disgusting to us church people. I have found that I am so good at criticism. In my opinion, it’s one of our greatest adversaries in Christianity. Oswald Chambers defines it best, “Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others.” The problem with this mind set is that if I keep looking at specks and smudges on other people’s faces when I have completely ignored the big muddy mess on my face. Worst yet, every wrong thing I’m finding in Renee Zellweger, Justin Bieber, Brittany Maynard, Hollywood; the Holy Spirit is finding in me. And that my friends, brings me to my knees. Where do I get off finding myself superior to others because they aren’t as righteous as I? Good one, Em.

SO now what? The Holy Spirit has focused my attention on Psalm 103. I remember how my life was once stuck in a pit of destruction, but how He “redeemed my life from the pit and crowned me with love and compassion.” I remember that “the Lord works righteousness and justice for ALL the oppressed.” I remember that He is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” And that doesn’t just reach me. It far surpasses myself, and it even goes further than those I have criticized. I am so thankful that God is greater than my critical attitude. His love and hope for the broken goes beyond my small mind.

Criticism has become an “ordinary activity” for the modern Christian. We need to be reminded that nothing good comes from it. We must heed the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4 to not allow any unwholesome talk come from our mouths. Moreover, to think on what is lovely and pure (Philippians 4:8) So I conclude with another quote from Oswald Chambers and it brings so much wisdom, “The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding.” God is so good.