Receiving criticism is part of the normal everyday life of any given person. Depending on how we take them and use them, these criticisms, coming from different people in our lives, can either make us better, or break us and make us bitter. It's all in the way we deal with them.
The Bible tells us that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). The "all" mentioned there includes the criticisms that we receive. If we handle these well, we'll soon grow into the purpose for which we encounter them – Christ-likeness (see Romans 8:29).
Are you excited to turn the criticisms you receive into stepping stones to growth? Here are some ways to deal with them.
1. Use them as questions to sharpen yourself
We usually consider criticisms as attacks against our person. If we honestly look at them, however, the criticisms we receive from our families, loved ones, colleagues and superiors more likely than not carry some amount of truth about ourselves.
Consider what our parents or bosses tell us when we do something that they dislike, for example. Some of them might say that we're "lazy," "slow," or "hard to understand." Take those comments and ask yourself if you're really lazy or very slow or if you're having a hard time sharing what you feel and think.
These criticisms might help us evaluate ourselves better. After all, we tend to see ourselves better than others do.
2. Use them as motivations to change
Would you like to keep hearing the same criticism over and over? I hope you'll answer "no." The criticism we hear often can be good motivators for us to change – so much so that we will actually strive to change our thinking and behavior when we keep hearing them.
Job 33:29-30 tells us that even God uses bad experiences to teach us lessons and make us want to change:
"God does all these things to a person— twice, even three times— to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them."
My friend, I hope that you won't receive the criticism and label yourself the way others do. Let your identity be founded on what God says you are, not what others say you are. Get sick of those labels and strive to do better.
3. Use them to get closer to God
Criticism can also be motivation for us to check God's Word for truth. 1 John 4:1 tells us to not naively believe in everything that we hear. Rather, we should check for their truth – if they are of God.
Many can say things about you, some of these nice-sounding even. These comments should also be checked against the Word of God, if they agree with what God says. Consider how the Bereans responded to Paul's message, according to Acts 17:10-12:
"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (verse 11)
