THE VITAL PLACE OF SELF-CRITICISM

 By A. W. Tozer
 

        All things else being equal, a Christian will make spiritual progress exactly
in proportion to his ability to criticize himself.

        Paul said, "But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment"
(1 Corinthians 11:31).  We escape the critical judgment of God by exercising
critical self-judgment.  It is as simple as that.

        We often hear the axiom "Practice makes perfect:' The fact is that practice,
far from making perfect, actually confirms us in our faults, unless it is carried on
in a humble, self-critical spirit.  The whole philosophy of instruction rests upon
the idea that the learner is wrong and is seeking to be made right. No teacher
can correct his pupil unless the pupil comes to him in humility.  The only proper
attitude for the learner is one of humble self-distrust.  "I am ignorant;" he says,
"and am willing to be taught.  I am wrong and am willing to be corrected:"
In this childlike spirit, the mind is made capable of improvement.

        The rapidity with which improvement is made in the life will depend altogether
upon the degree of self-criticism we bring to our prayers and to the school of daily
living.  Let a man fall under the delusion that he has arrived, and all progress is
stopped until he has seen his error and forsaken it.  Paul said, "Not that I have
already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take
hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12).

        Some Christians hope in a vague kind of way that time will help them to grow
better.  They look to the passing of the years to mellow them and make them more
Christlike.  This is such a tender and pathetic thought that one hesitates to expose
its essential error.  But we had better know the facts now while we can do something
about them rather than go on moist-eyed and dreamily hopeful--and wholly
wrong.  A crooked tree does not straighten with age; neither does a crooked Christian.

        All this is to say that a growing Christian must have at his roots the life-giving
waters of penitence. The cultivation of a penitential spirit is absolutely essential to
spiritual progress. The lives of great saints teach us that self-distrust is vital to godliness.
Even while the obedient soul lies prostrate before God, or goes on in reverent obedience
convinced that he is carrying out the will of God with a perfect conscience, he will yet feel
a sense of utter brokenness and a deep consciousness that he is still far from being what
he ought to be.  This is one of the many paradoxical situations in which the humble man
will find himself as he follows on to know the Lord.

        We have all seen the person who begins all arguments with the unassailable proposition
that he is right and reasons from there.  We have received a few letters which purported to
settle all questions, not by bringing forth reasons, but by establishing the writer's
qualifications to pronounce judgment.  "How dare you question my actions;"  he says.
"I am the foremost leader in my field.  I have written this many books and spoken to this
many people over a long period of this many years. " Ergo, I am not to be trifled with, nor are
my opinions to be questioned.  If I do it, it is right. 'ispe dixit'.  He has said it.

        This kind of thing would be comical if it were not tragic.  We mention it only to point up
the truth under present consideration and to show by horrible example what long continued
self-assurance will do to a human character.  Let the public accept a man as unusual, and he is
soon tempted to accept himself as being above reproof.  Soon a hard shell of impenitence covers
his heart and chokes his spiritual life almost out of existence.  The cure, if there is to be a cure,
would be simple, of course.  Let him look to his  past and to the cross where Jesus died.  If he can
still defend himself after that, then let him look into his own heart and tell what he finds there.
If after that he can still boast, close the coffin lid.

        We might point out a danger here (for there will always be perils in the way of
spiritual progress): it is that we become morbidly introspective and lose the legitimate happy
cheer from our souls. This we must never do, and we can avoid it by permitting Christ to engage
our attention, rather than our own souls. The safe rule is, whenever we look at ourselves,
be penitent; when we look at Christ, be joyous. And look at Christ most of the time, looking
inward only to correct our faults and grieve for our imperfections.
          --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.