Dealing With Criticismনমুনা

Criticism is part of persecution.

I heard a story about John Wesley. He went three days without suffering persecution, no one threw a brick or an egg at him, so he was upset. John was so distraught that he stopped his horse, and prayed to God to examine his heart to see if there was sin or backsliding in him. He asked God to show him where his fault was, and suddenly from the other side of the road, somebody threw a brick at John Wesley (and missed). Wesley finished his prayer with joy and got back on his horse thanking God that he was still in His purpose.

I want to encourage you today that being persecuted means you are at the center of God's will. If you're verbally assaulted, or falsely accused, and you are truly pleasing the Lord, don't be discouraged, God is with you and calls you blessed (Matthew 5:11-12).

Remember that you can't please everyone. You and I are supposed to live to please only God. We are called to love everyone, but we are called to please only God (Colossians 1:10).

During times when you are feeling criticized, learn to respond to God instead of reacting in the flesh. When Jesus was on the cross, His critics made fun of Him and told Him to come down. Jesus didn't react to them; He did not yield to their mocking demand. Instead, Jesus was silent before some of His critics (Matthew 26:63). Sometimes silence is your best answer. You may be able to win the argument, but you will lose your peace and waste your time.

I encourage you to go before the Lord and ask, “What do You want me to say in this situation?”

When I am bombarded with negative comments and scriptures used out of context against me, I usually just ask the Lord, “Do you want me to respond?” If I don't feel peace about responding, I just move on and ignore it. And instead of proving a point, I keep my peace.

Let's Pray:

Lord, this life is not always easy, but I pray that in moments of persecution, You give me the strength to keep moving forward. Give me the wisdom to discern and accept criticism humbly. Please help me to live a life that pleases You, Father.