Criticism | crustybread

For your arrows have already pierced me, and your hand presses hard upon me. Psalm 38:2 Particularly, in transgressions, we open our mouths and become our own worst critic. We wonder how we could have done something so foolish, selfish, and mean. We belabor the act for days and try to justify our actions knowing full well there is no justification. We despise the fact that even if for a brief moment, we became something that in the past we judged we now stand in judgment. We project that everyone now looks upon us with disdain. We pull our selves back and everyone including God seems so far away. Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. Don’t listen to the haters among us or the ones in our own mind, those who mock or scorn, who themselves are just as guilty for we all stand in judgment. Our first step is to open our mouths to confess, knowing that God will hear the sorrow that is true repentance and forgive us. We must open our mouths only to praise and bless God who continually shows us grace and mercy and accept His forgiveness and continue to follow the path you know to be right.

Again the Jews were divided because of these words. Many of them were saying, ‘He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?’ 10:19-42 Maya Angelou said that people will forget what you did but never forget how you made them feel. This can go both ways. Judging by the desire to stone Jesus, the Jews in this passage felt angry. It is very difficult to accept a truth about yourself that is unflattering and negatively judgmental. Criticism is sometimes used as a defense mechanism when people want to protect something about themselves. Although his words (scripture) were true, it didn’t change their minds about Jesus and it did not change their mind about who they believed themselves to be. Suffice it to say, the criticism and anger was not about Jesus as much as it was about them not wanting to accept straight talk concerning the scripture and life. No body likes to be criticized or judged negatively, but as we follow Christ, the Word of God should not only be our strength but our examiner as well.

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’ John 10:19-42