Many no longer hunger for edification, which strengthens the soul. They long for gratification, which soothes for a moment. In that state, a message that genuinely points to Christ can be completely missed simply because the messenger didn't fit a certain 'standard.'

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Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, “The ultimate test of all work is not the attraction it has for people but the kind of life it produces.”

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Edification and Gratification Are Not the Same

Scripture uses the Greek oikodomeó to describe edification. It means [to build up, to construct, to fortify, to make firm]. Edification strengthens the inner life of a believer in truth.

Gratification is a feeling. It does not require obedience or repentance. It simply satisfies the senses.

The sweet spot is learning to feel gratified by what edifies you. Let the strengthening of your faith be the thing that brings you genuine joy.

_{Here is the issue:}

We live in a world that fast-tracks everything, the slow and humble process of being built up is often brushed aside. So what happens when believers start to evaluate others (especially those who have stepped up to the plate of sharing God's Word) by worldly standards? They evaluate them based on things like charisma, presentation, intelligence, etc... which are all amazing traits that God can absolutely gift His people, but if we're not careful we end up completely missing what God truly values.

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_{Throughout Scripture, excellence is always tied to faithfulness.}

_{God used Moses, a man slow of speech.}

_{God used Deborah, a woman outside the cultural norm for leadership.}

_{God used Gideon, hiding in fear.}

_{God used Ruth, a foreigner with no social advantage.}

_{God used David, overlooked by his own family.}

_{God used John the Baptist, wild in appearance and rough in delivery.}

_{Jesus Himself had no "outward appeal".
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God continuously dismantles the human obsession with external markers of excellence.

It  raises a deeper question: Are we trying to please God or people?

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Examining All Things With the Right Standard

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“Examine everything. Hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil”
[1 Thessalonians 5:21]

This requires refusing to approve something before testing it.
But it also requires refusing to reject something before examining it.

Examining fruit means:
• examining doctrine
• looking at character [Galatians 5:22]
• identifying pride, sin, or deception
• watching for repentance or lack thereof
• noticing the lives of those touched by the work/Word shared

It is a slow, humble process. But a critical spirit will call something barren without going through said process.

A critical voice speaks with:
• no context
• no relationship
• no evidence
• no spiritual authority

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In this case, this is simply an opinion, not the voice of godly counsel. And we know what Scripture says about opinions🫠.... look it up🫣....

Some people only detect flaws in others. We have to guard our hearts from becoming like this, too. Let's be very careful.
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If you’ve drifted into this, correct yourself in love. And continually seek the Lord to renew a right and humble spirit within.

In the end, the goal is simple. Pursue what strengthens the soul. Because when preference, bias, or offense guides our evaluations, we lose the ability to recognize God’s work in the many ways He chooses to bring it forward.
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My experience is not the standard of truth. My preferences are not the standard of fruit.