Lord, I must not practice the manly art of self-defense. I must take Jesus as my example in this. When He was reviled, He did not ‘revile in return, but rather committed Himself to His heavenly Father (1 Peter 2:23). I must not answer all my critics. For one thing, they are too many and to satisfy them would take all my time. For another thing, my critics may unwittingly be my best friends. Like a mirror, they show me my faults and shortcomings that my blinded eyes could not see otherwise.
I respond to my critics with either thankfulness or silence. Thankfulness to them for being “kind” enough to point out areas in which I may improve; and silence if the criticism is malicious and mischievous. By silence I mean silence toward them, not silence toward God. Criticism should drive me to prayer and to the placing of the critic in God’s hands. I pray that if the criticism is fair I will accept it; if not, that God will defend me.
I must be careful not to line up support when under attack. It is so easy to take sides, to collect friends, and to make the criticism develop into an issue where battle lines are drawn. To do that is to refuse to admit I need correction, to refuse the benefits of criticism. Further, it creates an endless cycle of petty charges and countercharges that only cater to pride and ostentation. Among believers there may be differences of opinion, but no quarrel is ever necessary. Whenever a quarrel, a rift, or a schism develops in the body, someone has forgotten to say, “Forgive me!”
Jesus is my example as the perfect handler of criticism because He went to the cross with a pure conscience. And so I am counseled to “keep a good conscience [as Jesus did] so that in the thing in which [I am] slandered, those who revile [my] good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16).
“An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper” (Proverbs 28:25).
Daily with the King 