Theodore Roosevelt got things done. He was the driving force behind the completion of the ambitious Panama Canal project, won the Nobel Peace Prize, and served as Assistant Secretary of the US Navy. Oh, and he also became the 26th president of the United States (jump-starting his country’s conservation movement).
Like anyone who accomplishes great things, Teddy Roosevelt had his critics. He said of them: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.” He added, “There is no effort without error and shortcoming.”
In 539 BC, Cyrus King of Persia conquered Babylon and allowed the exiled Jewish people to return to their homeland. He also gave them instructions to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. But when that work began, the Jews met with derisive opposition. “Then the local [non-Jewish] residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work,” says the ancient record (Ezra 4:4). The building came to a halt (Ezra 4:24), and the temple was not completed until 23 years later in 516 BC.
People who are critical are fueled by a variety of motivations—pride, insecurity, envy, fear, hatred. But what do they accomplish? It can be wise to question a plan and to entertain opposing views. But criticism isn’t a spiritual gift; it’s a character flaw. If you’re prone to criticize, ask the Holy Spirit to soften your heart.
If you’re the target of criticism, don’t worry about those critics. Be someone who’s in the arena, not heckling in the crowd.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Acts 1:1-11
More:
Read Ezra 6 to see how the building of the temple resumed. In Nehemiah 4:1-6, how did Nehemiah respond to criticism and attacks?
Next:
Are you prone to be critical or encouraging? How do you react when you are criticized? How can God help you deal with these detractions?
levikahn on October 5, 2011 at 10:48 am
I think it is insane the amount of time some people spend on criticising people in the political arena. Our duty as Cristians is to show Christ’s love to everyone. And those political people will not bring any of us salvation.
dianalovesjesus2 on October 5, 2011 at 12:54 pm
….this sooo speaks to my heart!! Mea culpa….I am definitely ‘prone to criticize’!! 🙁 ….ah please, Spirit…grace of God …soften my heart, and make me an encourager of souls!!!!
tim gustafson on October 5, 2011 at 12:59 pm
Hmm, well, confession time. I feel like I often have the “gift” of criticism. It’s an easy trap to fall into. But the fruits of the spirit are all positive and encouraging — just the way the Holy Spirit is with me!
daisymarygoldr on October 5, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Profitable post and sound teaching on criticism, Tim Gustafson! You are right; it is wise to question a plan and entertain opposing views. Criticism is to discern—to judge—not the person but their teaching, their thoughts or opinions in the light of the Scriptures.
We cannot criticize someone that is out there walking on the street. Criticism is offered and received only in strong relationships among family, friends, and colleagues. And with Christians, a person has the right to criticize me only if both of us are on the same page as far as the Bible is concerned.
The concept of accepting criticism is repeatedly taught in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 13:18; 15:31; 29:1). It is said criticize in private, praise in public. However, with conversations on cyberspace, it is expected our words will be subjected to critical analysis. So, we need to be open-minded but it is wise to turn a deaf ear and ignore personal attacks.
For example, while engaging in discussions at another blog site, instead of criticizing my comments some of the stuff thrown at me were “who do you think you are”, “stop shouting” “how dare you speak like this” “for the likes of you” and one person even told me to “go back to your country”. My personal favorite was “clanging cymbal”, which itself was a tell-all sign about the person’s Bible literacy.
The motive behind criticism is love—which does not insult but presents us with an opportunity for healthy growth, learning and improvement. For some of us the infamous red pen is our bread and butter… as we are paid to critique, evaluate, appraise, and provide feedback. Criticism hurts… but the pain is for our good.
Winston Churchill said, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. Because it calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
tim gustafson on October 5, 2011 at 3:58 pm
daisymary, you make better points in your comment than I make in my article! Thanks for a valuable contribution to our discussion.
winn collier on October 5, 2011 at 5:39 pm
criticism, I think, can also be a way of self-protection, of hiding our insecurities or the ways we feel we come up short. When we tear down another, we feel better about ourselves. For about a minute.
theodjfollower on October 5, 2011 at 8:35 pm
I am confused…
Is it sound to say that criticism is a character flaw when there are instances in the bible, as pointed out by daisymarygoldr, that we should accept criticism?
Criticism can be positive or negative. Shouldn’t we try to accept positive – or constructive – criticism even though it can be terribly hard to do so?
Tim, nevertheless, I get your point. But do you mean to say cynical instead of critical? That is the impression I get from reading today’s devotional.
Please enlighten, thanks!