Holy Grit — Handling Criticism with Humility - Wednesday
Today’s Verse
1 Peter 2:22-23
He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. (NLT)
Several years ago, I was interviewing for a ministry job at a church. When I made it through the final step in the interview process, I figured it was only a matter of time before I got a call offering me the job. What I received was something a little different. I was asked to meet one of the senior staff for lunch. That lunch is not one I will ever forget. For 45 minutes, I was told (in not so many terms) that I was prideful, arrogant, and had no humility. This person had conversed with me for a total of 1 interview and had seen something that convinced them of that.
After the “constructive criticism” was over, a single question was asked. “So what do you think?” A million answers to that question ran through my head, none of which were nice. But before I responded, I asked the Lord for help. What came out of my mouth I can only describe as words straight from the Holy Spirit. I calmly said, “I think you’re incorrect, but I can’t really defend myself without sounding prideful and arrogant.”
I can take no credit in that exchange. In fact, I did have some pride and arrogance in my heart. (Maybe not to the extent that he thought it was there, but it was there nonetheless.) But God chose that moment to show me humility. It was a teaching moment for me, and God showed me how to respond to criticism in a humble and wise way.
I’m convinced God knew I would have a lifetime of criticism (some valid and some invalid) and showed me how to deal with both. I don’t always respond to critics with as much grace as I did that day, but I always try to imitate the behavior Jesus models for us in 1 Peter 2.
I’m thankful for that conversation. It was awkward and uncomfortable. But I’m thankful God’s humble and gentle words came out of my mouth.
REFLECTION
Take a moment to reflect on the last few times you’ve had someone criticize you. How did you respond? Did you respond with anger or defensiveness? If so, how could you have responded differently? The next time you are in that situation, commit to taking a moment to pause and pray before you respond.