Coping with criticism is one of the hardest things to deal with as an adult. Rest assured, it can be a nightmare, of all nightmares, in a pastor’s life if it is coupled with other issues of discouragement. In this post, I would like to introduce this series and lay the groundwork for future posts. Remember, even though criticism can be harsh, it can also be your best friend.Nobody, by nature, likes criticism whether it is constructive or not. No spiritual leader, business leader, or community leader likes to be criticized in any way. For a pastor, of a local church, it can be a nightmare; especially if there is a faction in the church who have set themselves against his leadership.
Though criticism is often seen in a bad light it can be a leader’s best tool for self improvement. As stated earlier, it can be a good friend. The Bible speaks of the faithfulness of the wounds of a friend. Consider…
(Proverbs 27:6) “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (KJV)
Whether you are a pastor, evangelist or missionary, this series of posts will help you. In fact, anybody who wants to mature as a believer can be helped. For sure, I am writing these posts for my benefit. I need help in this area.
In future posts in this series we will address the following:
- Thankfulness For Those Who Criticized You.
- Criticism – A Gift From God.
- An Important, Self Examining Question.
- Examining The Sting Of Criticism.
- Assumptions On Our Part.
- Sinful Responses To Criticism.
- What Goes Around, Comes Around.
- The Danger Of Over-Reacting.
Your Involvement…
Before I conclude this post, I want to invite you to participate in this series with your stories, suggestions, and helpful comments. I would really like this to be a collaboration from several pastors, and various spiritual leaders. Would you please help in this endeavor?
Looking forward to working with each of you in days to come.
