HOLD
THE CRITICISM

Topics: Acceptance; Criticism; Family; Sabbath; Spiritual Formation; Teens; Tongue; Words

References: Proverbs 12:18; James 1:26; 3:1–12

A family with teens decided that as part of their Sabbath commitments they would not criticize each other on Sundays.

As the months went on, they realized more and more of their children’s friends were coming over on Sundays just to hang around. No one in the family had talked about their commitment to withhold criticism, but somehow other teens knew this home was a good place to be.

—Tilden Edwards, Sabbath Time (Upper Room Books, 1992)