Critics
Have you discovered the danger of vision? Whenever someone has a vision, there is usually a lot of excitement and passion. And yet there is a real danger in vision, because vision always implies change. Visionaries rock the boat because they seek to bring change as they envision a brighter future. Many people are fine with settling for the status quo and have no desire to change. As a matter of fact, a lot of people simply don’t like to change at all.
Dealing with criticism is a part of life for all of us in some form or another. I have yet to meet the person who truly enjoys being criticized. We don’t go home and tell our spouses or friends how great our day was because of all the criticism we received. The fact is – criticism often stings.
In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the ruined wall around Jerusalem. This would have established the identity of God’s people again, but Nehemiah began to face some pretty tough critics. A man named Sanballat was Nehemiah’s chief foe. Sanballat had something to lose – politically and economically - by the resurgence of Jerusalem.
He and his allies verbally attacked the Jews in hopes to discourage them from rebuilding the wall (chapter 4 of Nehemiah). He called into question their character, commitment, competence, ability and faith. These guys were hitting below the belt in an attempt to rattle the Jews and shut down their vision.
Some of us know how this feels. We have had vision and good ideas only to have them shot down and shut down by what others say and think. When you want to change, some will criticize you because it reminds them that they are not what they should be.
I have met Christian wives with a vision for a godly marriage that are belittled and harassed by their unbelieving husbands. I have met godly singles that are saving themselves for the right person in marriage, only to be ridiculed by friends and family who think they are puritanical or simply crazy. Some of us have attempted to share our faith only to get ridiculed by others.
Criticism and ridicule can cause our vision to die. It is easy to give up and pack it in when we face criticism, so we must learn how to handle it.
Often our first response is to retaliate. Nehemiah however took his case to God. It is a mark of maturity to let God handle our case. In Nehemiah 4:4-5
, our visionary friend prayed one of the most honest and brutal prayers ever. He basically said, “Go get ‘em God. Turn their insults back on their head, and don’t forgive them – EVER!”
Nehemiah was angry for sure, but he took his anger before God. We usually spew our anger on others around us, but I believe the safest place to deal with our anger is in the presence of God. It is okay to be honest with God about how you feel. Just give him the chance to change your heart in the process. When you have been criticized and ridiculed, don’t go tell your friends. Go tell God. Go tattle-tale to God.
When Nehemiah faced the critics, his first response was to pray. And then he kept his focus and made sure Israel stayed on the job. He didn’t go argue with his enemies or complain about them to every one else. He prayed and stayed above the fray. That is the best advice we can receive when we are facing our critics. Our maturity is revealed sometimes not by what we say, but by what we don’t say. Take a lesson from Nehemiah, and learn to fight on your knees. When dealing with criticism, “Pray and stay above the fray.” That is God’s way. And that’s the Word.
