Don't You Just Love Being Criticized?


Yeah, I thought so, You love it as much as I do. Who doesn't hate being criticized? Lately, it seems the Lord has thought it necessary for me to learn how to respond to criticism in the right way. Fun. I started working through the first issue only to turn around and have it coming from another direction. Okay Lord, I guess you are trying to teach me something here. It is especially hard when you feel it is unjustified or that the person didn't get all the facts before being critical.

So, how do you respond? My first reaction is to become self-defensive. It is so easy to come up with a million reasons to defend yourself. But, wait a minute...am I letting pride real its ugly head? Maybe God is trying to show me mine own critical attitude. You know, of course I never criticize and neither do you, do you?

Let's look at this criticism again...ok, maybe there is at least some truth in it. Still, it is so easy to go on the defensive. Isn't is easy to turn around and start being critical of the one criticizing you? Yup, I'm not the only one. So...do I listen to the criticism or do I let it make me bitter?

Next time you think of being critical, think of something kind or encouraging to say to the person instead. And...next time someone criticizes you, take what you can from it, forgive and move on. It's not worth getting bitter over.

Proverbs 15:23, "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!"

2 comments:

JTR said...

Great post! Criticism is so hard to deal with because it can be so hurtful. Something someone said about me a few months ago left me sobbing in my pastor's office. And worse of all, is not being told who is saying things about you - there is no way to confront critical lies in that case is there?

Whether the criticism is real and deserved, or false and misunderstanding, my dad taught me all my life how to deal with it through his excellent example: let God be your defense. It does smart, and it is hard to go through.... but if we let God defend us, it makes us start thinking of all the times we criticized others, or even Him, unfairly.. and it makes us quicker to forgive. After all, they are just human. We all make mistakes.

Suzette said...

Awesome! Yeah, I hate being criticized, too. It's a part of life though, and some of it is even good for us! My pastor says, "Believe only half of what people say about you, both good and bad. You're somewhere in the middle."