CHOOSE: TO ENCOURAGE

Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (Psalm 1:1, from memory so probably KJV)

Scornful folks tend to seek company with the ungodly, and other sinners. But beware, it's an easy "seat" to fall into, even when you sit in your pew every Sunday. That's why Paul admonishes us "to do all things without  murmuring...(Philippians 2:14) Think, inuendos.

To me, a critical spirit spews scorn. Mother would refer to the scornful as "catty." 

Neither descriptors are positive. Therefore, at our house, we try to be appreciative of another's uniqueness or attempts---to applaud their efforts or at least try to understand them, even if that takes extra effort.

"Different"is not a sin.

Scornful folks might be trying to shame others so that their own deficiencies are not so obvious. The adept might introduce scorn through the backdoor of sarcasm---but that still oozes with criticism, even when they try to laugh it off as a joke.

Sarcasm can easily overflow from the heart of the scornful, and sarcasm hurts!

That judgmental seat of scorn is not a place of encouragement. So....don't even go there, much less sit down or take up residence.

May none of us choose to scorn or harbor a critical spirit in our hearts but rather choose to encourage.

Choosing to encourage comes easier as one delights in God's law and meditates on it and not on the perceived faults of others.