When Criticized Unfairly
Bob Roberts had a great post over at Glocal Trekker about dealing with unfair criticism. (It was in response to the shrapnel Rick Warren received for his recent trip to Syria.)
Sometimes God allows people to say things that aren’t right to keep you humble.
R ecognize God is at work in you.
E xpect significant attacks proportionate to impact.
J ust blow them off.
O pen God’s Word for comfort.
I ncrease your vision every time you’re attacked.
C riticism can always make you stronger.
E xercise discernment.
Sometimes God allows people to say things that aren’t right to keep you humble.
R ecognize God is at work in you.
E xpect significant attacks proportionate to impact.
J ust blow them off.
O pen God’s Word for comfort.
I ncrease your vision every time you’re attacked.
C riticism can always make you stronger.
E xercise discernment.
I have found that most unsolicited critism is intended to damage a person in their creditability rather than to correct an insufficiency. Many years ago when I first began selling case foods for Proctor and Gamble I complained to my unit manager that many of the grocers were really critical of my company and the way we promoted our products. His advice was simply that when you are promoting a product hoonestly and fairly jellousley will surface in the form of critism and I must learn to develop the attitued liken to being able to "takeing a skin graft from an elephant". This advice has carried me through many years of critism when either my methods or motives were not perceived in their proper prospective relative to motive and principal.
ReplyDeleteRich Nedrow
Unfair criticism comes from the 'green-eyed monster.'
ReplyDeleteI have heard many people give so-called advice using the term constructive criticsm. While I recognize the benefit that can be gleaned from such words, I do not believe in the word constructive criticsm. Mostly because constructive is a positive term and critism is a negative term. A plus one and a negative one equals zero...which is exactly what is gained by a person giving "contructive criticsm"...nothing. A person receiving it can use it to their gain if taken rightly. But a person giving it usually has either the wrong motive when using the term, or they are using the wrong term. Advice is good, constructive criticsm is...well...criticsm.
ReplyDeleteMark, I had the chance to preach before i went to the Flame event and afterwords a friend of mine came up and told me he apreciated the message but had one comment he would like to make, he said i spoke very fast, that i needed to wait a little longer after each point to let them sink in. he came to me in love, and i agreed with him, i was speaking fast, it helps me not to stutter. Last sunday my pastor asked me to preach in both sunday morning services, the biggest oppurtunity i have ever had, i preached on evangilsm, you were quoted at leat 3 times, and while preaching i thought about the comment that was made to me weeks earlier, i paused after every point, i spoke slower and clearer than i ever had. His critisism in love had a great impact on the message. But also like one of my mentors have said take a complaint and compliment like a piece of candy, put it in your mouth swish it around but make shure you spit it back out!
ReplyDeleteIn Christ Tim Dumont
Thank you so much for this post today. I'm sure it was intended for me. A friend and I took what felt like unfair criticism just last night, and to be honest, I've been grappling it over and over in my mind today. Trying to learn what I could from it, trying to process it, etc.
ReplyDeleteThis post spoke directly to my heart. I'm going to share it with my friend
Thank you so much.
Good discussion, everybody! Iron sharpens iron.
ReplyDeleteI am posting a rejoicing event, on the way home from my FLAME experience, with you. I stopped for Gas in Virginia, as I got out of my car I was almost stairing at this older woman, as God encouraged me to ask why, she was carrying such a heavy burden, I explained who I was and where I was coming from and she became teary eyed and said that her niece Jennifer was in critical condition waiting for a heart transplant, she was suppose to have it done so I prayed with her and let her know God was thinking about her and Jennifer, and He was in control of the entire situation. it was pretty strange, I felt really funny stepping toward her as she started to pump her gas, but I love how God works!
ReplyDelete