Constructive Criticism…..

Constructive criticism, who likes it? Any criticism is hard to take, but it’s when you learn to be honest with yourself, you learn to see it with new eyes. I’ve always told myself anytime someone has any advice, words of wisdom, criticism, or negative comments, I would weigh them all under the scrutiny of truth. When you look at yourself in a mirror, you will see the real you. You will see all of your imperfections. You will see what you like and dislike. It’s the same way with handling others’ comments, you take out what’s true and apply it to your life. And you throw out the bad, that which isn’t true. When you see yourself under God’s sovereign authority you are able to handle people’s words, because you know God is working on your character. God uses people to communicate His intentions. It’s like gold being refined in the furnace. It’s takes immense heat to separate the pure gold from all the impurities mixed in with it. In the same way, criticism, harsh remarks, advice, and the like, are God’s way of testing us to see if we are ready to move forward in our development. In order to be more like Jesus (which is the goal of the sanctification process all believers must experience), we have to get to the point of independently being dependent upon God. One of the surest ways of knowing your journey is headed in the right direction is how we handle criticism. God tells us that we don’t need to worry about what to say when we are brought before people demanding answers, for He will give us the words to say. The key is being close to Him, pursuing Him daily. This helps us look at ourselves from His perspective. It’s where humility starts and ends. It’s where pride isn’t allowed to reign. It’s what these proverbs are all about. Handling criticism shows us where we are on our journey with God. How you handle it, shows us our spiritual maturity. It all starts with a healthy reverence for God, and an honest look at ourselves. So the next time you receive criticism, pray about it, ask God to reveal what its purpose is. Separate the necessary from the untruth, and apply the truth to your life, while throwing out the lies. You’ll find yourself growing in understanding, and at home with the wise. Before you know it, people will be coming to you for this blessing (God-given ability) you’ve trained yourself to develop, it’s called wisdom.

31 If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. 32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. 33 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. Proverbs 15:31-33