Craig T. Owens

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Ken Blanchard is right: we spend way too much time trying to catch someone doing something wrong (or worry that they’re going to do something wrong), and not enough time trying to catch them doing something right.

…if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things…. (Philippians 4:8)

…love rejoices in the truth…. (1 Corinthians 13:6)

I should be praying for and looking for praiseworthy things. Why? Because people generally live up to someone’s expectations (they live down to their expectations too)—especially someone who has demonstrated they care about them.

Listen to the apostle John’s right-catching statement:

It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 3-4)

“The truth” is sometimes taught in a Christian home or in a church, or maybe it’s caught there. The child or the churchgoer has heard the truth, but then do we honestly believe the truth—along with the Holy Spirit reminding them of that truth—somehow becomes ineffectual?

We often act like that.

We seem to be more willing to believe the negative reports than the positive reports. Perhaps, like John, I need to be more ready to catch others doing right. Perhaps I need to be more ready to rejoice in the success stories. Perhaps I need to pray for greater discernment to see the positive changes the truth is making in those I love.

If we make this a matter of prayer, I believe the Holy Spirit will help us catch others doing right.

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