Can You Take It?

If you are a normal, healthy, red-blooded, intelligent, fun-loving boy or girl, you probably hate to be criticized. But, for some reason or other you just can't seem to miss it, can you? If you sleep late in the morning, someone says you're lazy. If you get up too early you are noisy—or nosey! You just can't win.

Here are three good ways to escape criticism: Say nothing, do nothing, be a nobody. Pretty dull advice, though, isn't it? But it will keep you out of trouble. If you ever intend to get anything done or be anything, someone is going to find fault with you.

So, first of all, expect to be criticized, and you won't be surprised when it comes. Be prepared for it. Make a game of it. Keep score on how many times someone finds fault with you when you are trying to do a good deed. Just don't allow yourself any self-pity, or you will spoil the game.

Then, when criticism comes, listen to it. Some of it will be helpful. Maybe something is wrong with you sometimes. Some criticism will be friendly, some unfriendly. Listen to both sides. Some good may come out of it. Take what good you can out of it and throw the rest away like a handful of peanut shells.

But, whatever you do, try to please God first of all. This won't stop people from finding fault with you any more than it stopped them from destroying Jesus. But you will be on the right side. Every good deed you do will be both praised and criticized. So do all the good you can and trust God, and then you'll be able to take it standing up.

If people have to find fault with me, O God, let it be while I am working for you.