Nehemiah basically says, “No, I don’t have time to hang out with my critics. I am on a mission here, and I can’t slow down just because a few don’t agree.”
Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we should be unteachable or uncoachable. I’m not saying that we should avoid critique. Critiques come from people who love us, believe in us and believe in the mission we are on. Critiques seek to strengthen the mission and make me a better leader. Criticism, however, has a an alternate agenda. Criticism undermines the mission and my leadership. Taking a cue from Nehemiah, critics no longer get our ear!
Prophets live to please the right audience.
Does it hurt when we are criticized? You bet. However, prophets always make a decision. Moses made his decision by a burning bush. Jesus made his decision in a desert. Jonah made his in the belly of a whale. Paul made his on the road to Damascus. Each of these leaders made the decision to live to please the right audience. Two thousand years later, we must do the same when we take our offices, stages, platforms and pulpits every weekend. We must make a conscious choice: Which audience will I seek to please today? The apostle Paul said:
“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Galatians 1:10 [NLT]).
Today, God is looking for people who will answer the call to become his prophets. If you’re willing to answer that call, you could be one of those people that’s written about a long time from now. More importantly, God will remember you.
