Criticism decimates. I’m talking about petty criticism here, not the gentle correction we all need at times. How can we sing, “Oh, How I Love Jesus” on Sunday and then disparage people on Monday? The fault-finding and belittling that floods my Facebook feed and fills my ears when I’m out and about makes my heart ache. I don’t like everything that everyone else says or does. (A lot of people don’t seem to care at all if they live or speak in ungodly ways.) But does my tearing them down change anything for them? Does it truly change anything for me? A better choice is to pray for people who make choices that lead to unpleasant consequences. Every now and then it’s good for us to remember that we are sinners saved by grace and were once just as lost as these souls are now. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb; sweet to the taste and healthy to the body.” I want to benefit and edify the body of Christ. It begins with the words I choose to speak.