How to Benefit from Criticism

Nobody likes criticism! We want to be accepted and affirmed, and we don’t want to be told that something that we are doing is wrong. However, criticism is a fact of life. The question isn’t whether we will face criticism, but rather in how we deal with it. Does it make us critical or bitter, or do we examine ourselves, looking for areas that need attention in our lives? How we perceive, face and handle criticism can reveal a lot about the state of our hearts. It reveals our pride and our idols, things we look to for comfort – things we worship instead of God. David Murray, professor at Puritan Reformed Seminary and blogger at Head Hand Heart has the following  great advice on how to deal with criticism:

Four steps to avoid

Reject: without a moment’s thought you simply dismiss the criticism, minimize it, and move on


Retaliate: again, often without even a pause, you attack the attacker or criticize the critic


Resent: while you may seem to accept what was said, you inwardly seethe and bitterly brood

Resign: you just give in, give up and run away

Four steps to follow  -  Keep Reading...