With the Help of Our Critics

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Elizabeth Welte in Victory Call

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” Proverbs 12:15

I browsed through some Biblical Counseling on-line resources from CCEF (Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation) when a brief article by Dr. Ed Welch caught my eye.  His premise was listening to our critics. That got me thinking… we all have them right?  Critics.

For most of us, our inclination is to avoid our critics. I mean seriously, why would I want to listen to someone tell me what I’m doing wrong? Truth be told, if we only listen to our cheerleaders, friends, and fans, we have a very skewed view of ourselves.

We all know what it is like to be criticized. We all know what it is like to feel like our critic is way off base making us feel totally misunderstood. We tend to get hurt and defensive and we miss the gem buried in the mud, to our detriment. What if instead of focusing on what they got wrong we strain to hear what they got right?

If only 5% of what our critics say is accurate, would it not behoove us to take that 5% and allow it to help us grow and change?
Yes, it takes humility.
Yes, it takes discernment.
Yes, it takes grace.
Yes, it takes a desire to change.

But we can grow and change with the help of our critics.

 

Written by Diane Hunt: Diane Hunt serves on the board of America’s Keswick and is the Executive Director & CEO of Changed Choices, a Christian non-profit in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.


Think About This: “God sometimes takes us into troubled waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us.” – Author Unknown

The Daily Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 13-14, Psalm 106-107. You can download our 2023 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13

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