How to Handle Criticism God’s Way

Summary

Criticism is inevitable for those serving God and can discourage and derail us. Nehemiah’s example shows how to respond when opposition highlights our weaknesses and fuels exhaustion. We must shift our focus from ourselves to God’s power and purpose, remembering He is in control. Prayer and practical action go together, asking God for help while continuing the work. We should weigh criticism carefully, change if needed, and keep serving despite opposition.

Criticism Can Deeply Wound

A pastor’s church board criticized him in front of the congregation. They read a list of his inadequacies and shortcomings. They fired him.

Shooting him would have been more humane. He left the full-time ministry for more than a year, trying to reassemble the broken pieces of his life.

Criticism Comes with Leadership

Leaders, like lightning rods, attract bolts of criticism. That is as sure as sunrise and sunset.

That is also true of anyone who tries to do something significant for God. Jesus faced it repeatedly. Being insulted and denounced while doing God’s work is a given.

Follow Nehemiah’s Example

Criticism derails some of us. Our self-esteem and sense of working for God evaporate in an eyeblink. Let us consider how to handle criticism, modeling ourselves after Nehemiah.

Opposition Often Magnifies Our Weaknesses

I doubt Nehemiah anticipated criticism when he committed to rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall. Soon after the work started, however, Sanballat ridiculed the project. He said they could not complete it. He magnified the task and minimized the workers.

Tobiah said a fox walking on the wall would crumble it. Both critics ignored the difference God could make.

Discouragement Can Distort Our Perspective

Criticism often draws painful attention to our inadequacies and reminds us of what we cannot do. The enemy of the faith celebrates when we focus on our weaknesses. We all have them.

He uses discouragement to tire us physically and emotionally. The exhaustion that discouragement produces provides fertile soil for negative thinking to sprout like weeds in the garden of our hearts.

When that happens, our burdens, obstacles, and defeats block our view of God and hamstring our hope. We feel incompetent and unworthy. Our spirits turn gray long before our hair does.

Let God Be God

Do we believe God can use us? The enemy will challenge that conviction. To overcome discouragement, we need to adjust our perspective. We must let God be God (Nehemiah 4:4-5).

He never wrings His hands and paces nervously, wondering how to deal with our problems. He allows and uses them to shape us while He maintains control.

Keep Working with All Your Heart

The right perspective includes recognizing that God is in control and cooperating with Him to serve despite opposition. Work continued on the wall because the people worked with all their hearts (Nehemiah 4:6).

Pray and Take Practical Action

Prayer is vital when the hurricane winds of opposition roar. We must also do something. Nehemiah wrote, “But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat” (Nehemiah 4:9 NIV). He recognized God’s control yet took a practical step to counter the opposition. That is the exit from the dark valley of discouragement.

How to Handle Criticism

We must do something. God gives us the wisdom to know what (James 1:5). We do not count our critics. We weigh them.

If what they say is true, we must change our ways. If it is not, we must not let them distract us from the work God has given us. What is your takeaway? See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.   #freediscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources 

God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 7,541 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 17,361 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.

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