https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/EveryonesACritic.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Proverbs 9:7-12<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. Everyone faces days when it feels as if nothing is going right.<\/p>\n
A. People find fault with what you do and you think that nothing can please them.<\/p>\n
B. Criticism, justified or not, isn’t pleasant to receive<\/p>\n
1. “You’re not doing that right.”<\/p>\n
2. “You should have done that better.”<\/p>\n
3. “He better than you are.”<\/p>\n C. It hurts when someone who has never done your job or is just learning your trade\ntells you how you aren’t doing your job right.\n D. What really hurts is when someone who isn’t living a Christian life starts point\nout the mistakes you make.\n
1. “You’re a Christian and you act like that?”<\/p>\n
2. “I thought you were supposed to be righteous, or something like that.”<\/p>\n
II. Listen<\/p>\n
A. As painful as it may be, we need to listen to criticism, no matter what the source.<\/p>\n B. What you are being told might not be from a pure motivation, but what you need\nto ask yourself is whether they are accurately pointing a problem that you are\nignoring.\n
1. Too often we don’t face the real truth because it involves us.<\/p>\n
2. Wise people learn – Proverbs 9:9<\/p>\n C. Yes, it is easier to take rebukes from someone who cares about you – Ecclesiastes\n7:5\n
D. All criticism isn’t equal<\/p>\n
1. Some criticize to bring you down – Proverbs 27:5-6<\/p>\n
2. Foolish people will give you foolish advice – Proverbs 16:22<\/p>\n
III. Consider<\/p>\n
A. Still, our aim is not to please people, but God – I Thessalonians 2:4<\/p>\n
1. So consider whether there is a grain of truth in what is being said.<\/p>\n
B. It is easy to get annoyed at criticism when it comes from the wrong source.<\/p>\n 1. But don’t let your anger cause you to miss an important point when\nChristians are being criticized by unbelievers: These people think that\nChristians ought to be better than the average person. So is it bad that they\nhold some respect for the concept of being a Christian?\n
2. We should be concerned about how we shine in the world – Matthew 5:14-16<\/p>\n
3. We should want to be high quality lights – Philippians 2:5<\/p>\n C. Some taunt people who are better than they, knowing that they are not as good. It\nis a desire to pull another down to their level.\n 1. Then they can justify to themselves that being better isn’t important\nbecause they are all ready just as good or better than you.\n
2. Thus the critic is finding justification for his own sins.<\/p>\n
D. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking: “Well, no one is perfect.”<\/p>\n
1. Is it a Christian’s goal to be satisfied with imperfection? – I Peter 1:13-16<\/p>\n 2. None of us will be as holy as God, but that doesn’t mean God should come\ndown to our level. We continue to strive to reach for God’s level because\nthat makes us better people\n
IV. Correct<\/p>\n A. Just because criticism comes from the wrong source, if it points out an actual\nflaw, we should correct it – I John 1:8-10\n
B. Remember who we are striving to please – Galatians 1:10<\/p>\n
C. Knowing that we are doing what is right gives us confidence – I John 3:18-22<\/p>\n
V. Pray<\/p>\n A. Understand that unjust criticism comes from envy of what you have obtained so\nfar.\n
1. Envy sets a person against the truth – James 3:14<\/p>\n
2. And we too, at times, fall into the same trap – Ecclesiastes 7:21-22<\/p>\n B. If they are gloating over something that is a problem for you, take the wind out of\ntheir sails: “You’re right; I need to work on that.”\n
1. It acknowledges that you are human<\/p>\n
2. But it says both you and the critic need to reach for a higher plane<\/p>\n
C. Benefit others, don’t justify yourself – Ephesians 4:29<\/p>\n
D. Pray for the critic because he needs God’s help – Matthew 5:44-45<\/p>\n
E. Because a wise man loves the one who wants him to improve – Proverbs 9:8<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 9:7-12 I. Everyone faces days when it feels as if nothing is going right. A. People find fault with what you do and you think that nothing can please them. B. Criticism, justified or not, isn’t pleasant to receive 1. “You’re not doing that right.” 2. “You should have done that better.” 3. “He…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[794],"class_list":["post-62355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-criticism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42256,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-that-you-o-troubler-of-israel\/","url_meta":{"origin":62355,"position":0},"title":"Is that You O Troubler of Israel?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bryan Faulkner On Being a Christian","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":60802,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/dealing-with-criticism-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":62355,"position":1},"title":"Dealing with Criticism (Grushon)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Mike Grushon One of the persistent problems young people must overcome is criticism from adults. Paul exhorted Timothy to conduct himself in such a way that he would give no one a basis of truth for such criticism (I Timothy 4:12). Unfortunately, some choose to criticize the young even\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59755,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/some-thoughts-about-offering-criticism\/","url_meta":{"origin":62355,"position":2},"title":"Some Thoughts About Offering Criticism","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 7, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by William Barclay \"I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first\" (Revelation 2:19). There is something very interesting about this verse. The letter to the church at Thyatira is to be a letter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59299,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/reproof\/","url_meta":{"origin":62355,"position":3},"title":"Reproof","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 16, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ethan R. Longhenry \"Whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge; but he that hateth reproof is brutish\" (Proverbs 12:1). \"A wise son heareth his father's instruction; but a scoffer heareth not rebuke\"\u00a0(Proverbs 13:1). \"A fool despiseth his father's correction; but he that regardeth reproof getteth prudence\" (Proverbs 15:5). One of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5350,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-you-handle-criticism\/","url_meta":{"origin":62355,"position":4},"title":"How do you handle criticism?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 18, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What are the biblical teachings concerning criticism, forgiveness, and how to deal with criticism? Criticism has many faces, but I'm inquiring about the kind that can mar a person's self-esteem and his good reputation. Answer: How you handle criticism depends on why you are being criticized. \"For this is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53624,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/criticism-of-other-churches-has-no-place-in-christianity\/","url_meta":{"origin":62355,"position":5},"title":"Criticism of other churches has no place in Christianity","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: To whom it may concern, I just read\u00a0a response to a question regarding Mark 9:38-40, and I was disappointed that the last paragraph contained the following: \"This passage also shows that the concept of succession, where a denomination claims to be the \"real\" church because it can trace its\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62355\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}