Criticism - Interruption or Furtherance?

So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” Exodus 17:4

Bishop Stephen Neill (a Scottish Anglican missionary, bishop, and scholar), quoted “Criticism is the manure in which the Lord’s servants grow best.”

Frankly speaking none of us like criticism. I hate criticism. There is nothing that pierces deeper than a harsh, judgmental word. I find there are times when I lose my equilibrium under the onslaught of criticism.

There are two kinds. One is called “constructive.” It is designed, in the critic’s mind, to bring a positive end. However, constructive criticism can be as painful to the one being criticized as that which is called “destructive.” The end result of both are that they Both hurt.

When we look closely at the life of Moses we see that Moses was harshly criticized many times while he was trying to help and lead God’s people and that criticism came from his own people and his own family.  The criticism could have destroyed Moses if he had not learned how to overcome it.

The first criticism Moses faced came immediately after he led the people out of Egypt and God had rescued them at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:22-27). It is amazing that just 3 days after the people had seen the hand of God provide for them through the parting of the Red Sea – a miracle God did with water – that the people have lost sight of God’s power and willingness to provide for them and are critical of Moses for not giving them water.

In Exodus 16:2-3 we see that it’s not just water they complain about, it is also food and this time when they grumble against Moses it gets a little more personal. The people continued to criticize Moses every time something went wrong or the people had some need.  In Exodus 17 the people needed water again and so they grumbled and were critical of Moses.  When Moses went up to Mt. Sinai to meet with God the people criticized Moses because he was taking so long. The people criticized Moses again after spies came back from the Promised Land saying the land was filled with fortified cities and strong enemies.  Because they didn’t trust God to help them defeat their enemy, the people criticized Moses for bringing them out of Egypt in the first place (Numbers 14:1-4).

So we can see that the criticism Moses faced wasn’t a onetime thing, it was an ongoing part of his life.  The people constantly criticized Moses for what he did and how he did it.  With conditions as difficult as they were for the people travelling in the wilderness, I’m sure the criticism was harsh, pointed and personal and it wasn’t just the people or crowds who criticized Moses, it was his family as well which we can see in Numbers 12:1-2. 

For Moses, criticism came from every direction and those words could have destroyed him if he had not learned to overcome them,

In Exodus 15:24-25a we see what Moses did when the people were critical of him? For Moses, one of the keys in overcoming criticism was to cry out to the Lord.  If we were to go back and look at every situation where the people criticized Moses, we would find that Moses found strength and power in overcoming that criticism by turning to God first.

Moses never allowed the criticism of the people to shift his focus from God.  Moses never allowed himself to turn away from God and really consider or spend a lot of time thinking about what was said, he kept his focus on God. 

When we get an email that is harsh or critical, our first impulse may be to send a quick reply defending ourselves and advocating our position with that same harsh and critical tone.  I will admit that I have done this a few times.  I have actually written documents defending myself or the church’s decision on something and while I may not try to be intentionally mean spirited, the words were often written with the same harsh attitude that was used on me.  Fortunately instead of hitting send I have either hit delete or on a few occasions I really liked what I wrote so I sent the document to myself.  The ease of communication these days makes replying in the heat of the moment too easy which doesn’t allow us to take time to think, reflect and ask God for his help and perspective.

Turning to God first is often not our first response in the face of criticism, but it can be learned trait if we are willing to discipline ourselves in this area.

The life of Moses shows us that overcoming all criticism happens when we look to God first and when we allow that habit of keeping our focus on God

In reality, most of the criticism we receive can be turned into a positive instrument of change in our lives. Even if it’s basically inaccurate or totally malicious, it may contain some small nugget of truth that is valid, and which we should not ignore. That was David’s attitude:

Psalms 139:23-24 David says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"

David asked God to search his life to see if there was any offensive/grievous way in him. Any at all. And if God showed him something that was out of order in his life, however trivial it might seem, David was committed to cleaning it up.

Dallas Willard calls this request of David’s the 2 percent rule: that is, If someone’s criticism of us is even 2 percent accurate, we need to recognize and correct that 2 percent.

Dear Friends, someone has said, "If you want to lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back to the audience and focus where you should." God has a way of giving us, people who speak the truth, some in love, some in hatred. When we discover that these are God’s messengers, then we can grow.

This Lenten Season may we not take our focus off from God and his plan listening to the criticism of people around but constructively try to change and grow in the manner God wants us to.

God Bless You.