It’s a very difficult discipline but we must work hard at not being personally affected by criticism.
Criticism will always be a fact of life – for any leader. We simply cannot please everyone all the time. And many people (including very good ones) make their displeasure known. They have no idea about the multitude of other pressures the leader carries at the time. And they genuinely don’t realize the effect their words might have on the leader.
It is this that ends up derailing many leaders. They otherwise would have done really well, but they get discouraged and demotivated by the criticism. Years ago, I read that it only takes six (critical) people to get a pastor to leave – to leave! Even with all the tremendous affirmation and support the leaders get at some churches, there will still be criticism.
So we need to continually draw near to God. Allowing Him to crucify our own desires to look good, to be understood, to be treated justly, to be liked, to be vindicated, etc. etc.
It’s a deeper and deeper place of brokenness that we need to find. A deeper place of dependency on Him. A deeper place of union with Christ.
This is not easy and does not come naturally to any of us. I once asked a very old (and very deep) man of God, “Do you ever get to the place where people’s criticisms and attacks no longer trouble you?” His sober answer was, “No.”
But, in Him we can find encouragement and safety. In Him we can find life and peace. So that is where we must continually look. Coming apart from the busyness of the ministry work to look at Him and rest in His Presence. This is our hope and our path of longevity in serving the people of God – in Him. Only in Him.
