Dealing With Criticism as A Minister: 101

Dealing With Criticism as A Minister: 101

I have some great friends whom I love dearly who are not bothered at all by criticism. I would suggest they are the extreme minority. Early in my work, I feared and ran from any criticism that came my way. I hate to confess it, but it worked. It got better over the years, but I never reached the level one of my favorite mentors is at, where he claims to love criticism. I’ve prayed about it, asked others, and read articles and books about dealing with criticism. I learned a lot but still don’t like it.

Today I learned a new method of dealing with criticism, and it is a pretty simple one. What’s your favorite restaurant? Where’s your favorite place to stay? What’s your favorite gadget or product? Once you have picked out one of any of the above, go to Goggle, Yelp, or TripAdvisor. Look them up. Now, check the reviews. Read them all. The best scores and the worst. Read them carefully. It won’t take you long to see that even your favorite places, places you’d go to 100 times if you could, places you think are awesome, places that are run with excellence and superior customer attention will have some horrible reviews. The best places will have mostly good reviews, but even they will have “one-star” ratings. Before too long, you might realize: A: Everyone makes mistakes now and then. B: Some people can’t be pleased even with excellence. C: Some people are dishonest in their reviews.

Now, move that template over to your list of critics. Sometimes you will make mistakes. Some people can’t be pleased, even with excellence. And, some people are dishonest in their criticisms. Now pray, try to be better, and breathe. Don’t quit; we do not work for our complimenters nor our complainers, we serve the Christ, and He is full of grace.