Proverbs 9:7-9
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
At my Ph. D. orientation, our cohort was told that constructive criticism is our friend and that if we listened to it and did not take offense, we would benefit from it. Those were prophetic words! We received strong critique of our work, the kind that can make you say, "Are you sure I belong here?" But as we are going through the program, we have learned to cherish our toughest professors, for they are making us better able to do rigorous, valuable work in our field.
But as we read this Proverb, we also see that correction reveals character. We do not know a person's heart until we have offered them the loving hand of criticism. The teachable heart will love you; the unteachable heart will hate you.
Here are a few things I have learned on handling criticism:
1. Receive the criticism as if it were true.
2. If they were true, what changes would you make?
3. Make the changes that will improve your performance.
4. Reject the parts of the message that were not true.
When offering criticism, my desire must be the growth & maturity of the person. Love must be my motivation & my words should be used in a manner that would build up the person, not destroy him or her.
ReplyDeleteAs I receive criticism, I must not be quick to take offense, but instead remain willing to search my heart.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)