Enjoying the Journey
Posts Tagged ‘criticism’
Responding To The Critic
Dr. Mike Edwards served for 37 years as the pastor of the Heritage Baptist Church in Woodbridge, VA. He is a man of wisdom and a great encouragement to those who are serving the Lord. I am very grateful to call him my friend and happy to pass along this helpful article. He and his wife are now traveling in ministry, seeking to encourage other churches and couples in the Lord’s work. You may find more information on their work at sharepointministries.com. As a younger pastor I am not sure I was fully prepared for just how critical some people could be concerning my leadership and my service. After forty-three years of ministry I have now come to understand that criticism is part of the servant leader’s life. Ministry life is truly life in…
Read MorePut Up Your Sword
Our world and our churches are full of hurting people. Far too often those hurts have come from those who are supposed to be fighting in the same army. Friendly fire. The sword of another brother in arms. There is a spiritual sword that we are commanded in Scripture to use. “The sword of the Spirit” is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). This sword is not to be admired and held – it is to be used! We use the sword of the Spirit on the enemy as Christ did when tempted by the Devil. And, yes, the Spirit uses it on us (Hebrews 4:12). It cuts deeply, severing from us those things that do not honor God. This…
Read MoreThank God for Your Critics!
It is inevitable that critics will come. If you obey God there will be some man who does not understand. And the critics are not always foes – sometimes they are friends and family. Even Jesus said to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” Sincere people can serve as the enemy’s mouthpiece. It is not your critics who make the difference – it is your attitude toward them. We all want to defend ourselves. To prove them wrong. To be right. But, what if the negative is actually a positive? Criticism is always hurtful, sometimes unfair, and occasionally exactly what we need to hear. Regardless, it helps if you can see the Lord at work in the midst of criticism and…
Read MoreCan You Go One Day Without It?
Relax. I’m not going to ask you to give up something important like chocolate or coffee. I want to ask you to give up something far more destructive. A few days ago I started to say something in casual conversation to a family member. It was a thoughtless comment. A negative word about someone I did not even know. At that moment the Holy Spirit convicted me. Now, as a general rule, I am a fairly positive person. But those who know me best would tell you that when I get overly tired I can also get irritable. We all must guard ourselves at such times. One careless, critical word can do such damage. And so back to my story……
Read MoreThe Devil Doesn’t Need Our Help!
Dr. Lee Roberson used to say, “It takes no size to criticize.” Indeed one of the smallest things a man can do is to tear someone else down. Christ always sought to build men up – it is the devil who seeks to devour. There are many names used in Scripture for Satan. One of the last ones reveals one of his lasting strategies. In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter twelve, and verse ten, we read: And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day…
Read MoreDealing with Accusations
Accusations are damaging things. For sure there are times that sin must be addressed and sinners confronted. That is called restoration – at least that is what it should be called. The ministry of reconciliation always has as its goal the restoration of sinners to fellowship with God. Accusations are another thing altogether. Perhaps it would help if we could see that accusations are not simply statements. They are one of the chief characteristics of a person named Satan. We often speak of his work in the Garden of Eden as a work of temptation. In fact, it began as a work of accusation. He accused God to Eve. Soon he would accuse Eve to God. That’s the way accusers…
Read MoreHandling Criticism
I like to be liked. So do you! There is a great danger in seeking to please men – desiring to gain their compliments and avoid their criticism. “The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Proverbs 29:25). Living for the praise of men is empty. Accolades and acknowledgment do not bring fulfillment. Beware! Compliments will make you a man of men, not a man of God. Listening to others boast of you is just as deadly as boasting of yourself. Dr. Lee Roberson used to say that we must “die to compliments and criticism.” Both tend to rouse the flesh. Men who walk in the Spirit cannot afford to listen to the flesh, whether it speaks positively or negatively. You…
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