Get a friend to tell you your faults, or better still, welcome an enemy who will watch you keenly and sting you savagely. What a blessing such an irritating critic will be to a wise man, what an intolerable nuisance to a fool!
Charles Spurgeon
Nobody enjoys criticism, especially from dragons. Their "constructive" observations often come across like a wrecking ball — maybe beneficial in the long run, but the immediate effect is noise, rubble, and a large hole in your self-esteem.
Yet even dragons can sometimes be right, and almost all pastors are willing to benefit if the criticism is valid. As Proverbs 17:10 says, "Criticism to an intelligent person has more effect than a hundred lashes on a fool."
The problem is deciding which criticisms are valid and which are unjustified. It requires a tough hide and a sensitive heart. And a few specific criteria don't hurt. Here are several tests pastors have identified to help distinguish fair from unfair attacks.
Consider the source. The first test is ...
1Support Our Work
Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month