Today, we address a critical spirit.

The question comes in from a listener named Alan.

Here's his email, Pastor John, thank you for your insight on many topics in this podcast.

My question for you is this, what does the Bible say about a critical spirit?

What is a critical spirit?

I assume holding high expectations is not the same thing as having a critical spirit.

So when do high expectations become sinful judgmentalism?

And how can I fight against this tendency inside of me to focus mostly on the failures

of others?

That last question is exactly the right question to ask for all of us.

And I include myself here who, John Piper, is wired to be critical.

I remember taking a personality test, I think it was Myers-Briggs ages ago, and my letters

came back.

I can't remember.

I think it was INTJ or something like that.

This is not the kind of person you want to live with.

I remember, you know, they said, okay, here's your number, Piper, and here's the narration

of what that personality type is like.

You know what one of the motto this was?

The motto was, there's always room for improvement.

Oh, wow.

Now, it's good to know that about yourself, because it means that you're a hard person

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