One of the things that we teach our kids is to “not yuck another person’s yum.” Rather than offer your unsolicited negative opinion of another person’s food, clothes, or backpack, simply keep your comments to yourself. Better yet, look for something POSITIVE to say that may even brighten someone’s day!

And I think we would all be wise to embrace encouragement in lieu of a critical spirit. Rather than fixate on the spelling error in your friend’s Facebook post about her wedding anniversary, simply appreciate the blessed union of two people who love each other. And although you may cringe when a “Lipid Expert” confuses LPL and Lp-PLA2, resist the urge to publicly shame him or her (I’m sure this one really hits home for all of you). And rather than lament that your pastor doesn’t know the difference between the aorist and pluperfect tenses, focus on his selfless commitment to speaking truth in love.

“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. “

-1 Thessalonians 5:11