Brian Croft of Practical Shepherding (one of the blogs I read) posted twice this week on how a pastor deals with criticism, especially that of the mudslinging kind:
How Does a Pastor Face Criticism From His People?
My God use whatever harsh, painful words might be spoken to us this week to make us tenderly afraid of sin and more concerned to live a blameless life, all the while looking to the cross where Jesus Christ alone is our redemption, sanctification, and righteousness.What Questions Should a Pastor Ask Himself When Criticisms Come?
Pastors, I would encourage you to use these questions as we did; merely a template to search your own heart about how you cope when your people criticize you. Do you get sad? Angry? Hurt? What do you do with those feelings and how do you now deal with those throwing the mud and hitting others in the process? What mud do you drag home with you hoping your wife will clean the mud off for you? How we face these questions in a God-honoring way and with a gospel perspective will often determine our level of joy in the work and how long we will last in the ministry.
Brian is talking mainly about criticisms that the pastor hears in person, but some of his thoughts also relate to the sticky problem of being criticized behind our backs.
0 comments:
Post a Comment