Let’s say you took a poll to find out how many people have faced criticism in some form or another at some time in their lives. Since criticism is faced by nearly everyone, chances are you would find that at least 99.9% have faced criticism of some kind. It is easy to think of times when your family, parents, friends, employers, co-workers or even strangers have criticized you. It is even likely that you have criticized yourself in some way. Though criticism can be positive or negative, criticism is negative the majority of the time and not a thrill to receive. In the midst of criticism, there are times when it is necessary to answer and there are times when it is better to just listen.
How can we effectively answer the criticism that we face from other people? In 1 Samuel 17, David was criticized three times. Each time he did something different to cope with the criticism that he faced. When his brother Eliab (v. 28) criticized him, he considered the person criticizing and questioned his motives. When we are criticized we need to consider the person who is criticizing us. We also need to be willing to talk about it with that person. The second time that David was criticized (v. 33) was when Saul told him that he was not capable of doing what he claimed he could do (defeat Goliath). David explained his case by giving Saul examples of times when he had done what he was claiming that he could do. When we are criticized we need to listen and share our side. And the third time David was criticized (v. 43) took place when Goliath made fun of David and criticized him for the single purpose of making him feel bad. David considered the source and told him what he knew to be true. When we are criticized we need to consider where the criticism is coming from and remember God’s true promises.
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