One of my ministry heroes has always been Chuck Swindoll. I’ve listened to his sermons on and off since I was in college. One time I heard him say…
“There will be people in your life who, basically, want to worship you. In their eyes, you can do no wrong. They put you up on a pedestal and believe every word, every action, every thought is pure as the fallen snow.”
“On the other hand, you will have your critics for whom you can do nothing right. Every word, action, and thought will be criticized with little thought to who you are as a person.”
If I remember correctly, he went on to essentially say that the wise leader would not take either one of these groups seriously. I don’t think he meant we shouldn’t still love them because I believe we should. I think he meant we shouldn’t allow them to shape and mold us. Their false worship and eager critical hearts will simply damage the work God is doing in you and through you.
I’m embarrassed how much time I’ve wasted focusing on that blistering e-mail, brutal review, or just downright hateful comment.
Hear me now: Don’t waste your time listening to false praise or distorted criticism. The praise will go straight to your head, and the criticism will go directly to your heart. Both will lead you astray, and both will damage the work God is doing in you and through you.
Which is more likely to get you off course? Praise or criticism?
