Send to Kindle

Nobody likes to be criticized, right? Even if it’s done supposedly to help you, we don’t really like to be confronted with something that another person doesn’t think is perfect about us.

However, a disturbing trend I see nowadays in Christians is the inability to hear anything negative.

We act as if any time someone says something negative to us, it’s because they’re jealous, or they’re being sinful, or they should take the beam out of their own eye first.

I see memes being shared stating that if someone can’t accept you as you are, then just leave that person behind.

Now, I’m not saying that there are no boundaries. And I’m not addressing the notion of BEING critical. I’m talking now about TAKING criticism.

Whether or not it’s given in the right spirit, we can (and ought) to TAKE it in the right spirit.

What if, when the prophet Nathan had said to David, “Thou art the man!” King David had turned to Nathan and told him he had no right to talk to him that way? What if King David had told the prophet that he hadn’t asked for Nathan’s opinion, and that he was having a bad day already and Nathan should be more kind? What if David had begun pointing out all of Nathan’s shortcomings, and said that he’d only listen once Nathan had all those things cleared up himself?

Yet it’s responses like these that I hear and see around me all the time from Christians.

We seem to be incapable of hearing anything negative about ourselves, focusing instead on the way the message was delivered, the person who delivered it, and/or our excuses for why that issue might be true in our life.

It’s not like I’m not the same way – I am. But what I’m trying to say is, we should NOT be that way.

When someone comes and points out a problem in our life, we ought to be thanking them. Whether they were doing it from the goodness of their heart or not, whether they’ve got their life all in order or not, whether there are valid reasons or legitimate excuses –

What if, instead of ignoring the critique, defending ourselves, or relegating the critique to jealousy or bitterness, we take that criticism as perhaps something God is trying to point out.

Yes, God.

I’ve even heard some people say that if there were really a problem, then God will point it out.

Doesn’t God work through His people?

So if someone is pointing out an issue or problem in your life, maybe that IS God pointing it out to you.

Let’s not be so quick to dismiss criticism. Instead, take it in, examine it, see if there’s anything you can learn from it.

Let it grow you.

About the Author:

Sherry grew up in various cities around northern and central California. This gave her all sorts of stories that sat and festered in her brain, waiting to be let loose. She eventually went to college in Wisconsin, where she met her equally frenetic husband, Rich. They have six (yes, count them) children, two dogs and a cat, and currently reside in a madhouse in the southern California area. As a family, they enjoy being active in their local church. Sherry spends her time writing when not caring for Granny, the kids, the dogs, the cat and any number of strays in the neighborhood.

Sherry Chamblee can be found at http://www.sherrychamblee.weebly.com Or check out her books at http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Chamblee/e/B00BA06RJ2/