How Pastors Should Respond to Criticism
One of the grim realities of being a pastor is that you will experience criticism. I have known many pastors through the years, and each one has undergone criticism. Criticism is inescapable in the life of a pastor.
Few things challenge a pastor more than criticism. Personally, there have been times when criticism has absolutely devastated me. It is especially difficult to receive when given by someone you respect deeply or by someone who has completely misunderstood a situation. Criticism can sideline or paralyze a leader, or it can help a leader be better in the future. I have personally experienced each of these situations.
Without question, many times criticism is unfair; at other times, it is right on, with 100% accuracy! So, how should a Pastor respond to criticism?
1. Receive it.
When someone criticizes you as a pastor, receive it. In fact, receive it with grace, not letting your body language demonstrate defensiveness or disapproval. Assure the person criticizing you that you will receive what they say, consider it, pray about it, and determine the direction God wants you to go in the future.
2. Learn from it.
Criticism can be a great teacher. Pastors should be teachable, even teachable through criticism. We are not perfect. We are not sinless. We make mistakes. Own them. Confess them as sin. Make it right with the person. Those who are spiritually mature are able to learn from criticism. Pastors, always take the high road; you will never face a traffic jam there.
3. Outlive it.
If a person criticizes you unfairly, outlive it! Through the course of time, a life of integrity and honesty can overcome the criticism of others. Sooner or later, their criticism of you will fall on deaf ears because time proves it all in life. Nothing is more powerful than a consistent, Christ-centered life, lived out over the course of time by a local church pastor. Therefore, outlive your criticism!
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
3 Reasons Our Work has Purpose
In my post last Tuesday, we considered who we truly work for, that being God Himself. As part of this unit of Bible Studies for Life: Productive, Nick and I wanted to also consider the reason we work. Do followers of Jesus work only for money, position, and power? Or, is there a deeper, more meaningful purpose for labor?
“According to the National Retail Association, in 2011, Americans spent 10.7 trillion dollars.”1 Think about that for just a moment. In a single year, Americans spent an amount equal to nearly ⅔ of the U.S. national debt. It is an extraordinary figure.
1. We are Accountable
As followers of Jesus, we are accountable for how we spend money. The Bible makes it clear that each of us are stewards of a portion of all that belongs to God. We do not actually own anything, even if, for the purpose of human record keeping, our names are on deeds, titles, receipts, and the like. The Bible says, “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord; for He laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers.”2 Everything we have ever seen or ever will see belongs to God. He has claim to it by right of being the Maker.
2. We are Stewards
The Bible also teaches us that we are stewards (managers) of what God entrusts to us (see Matt. 25:14-28, 1 Corinthians 4:1, 2). Our role regarding possessions is to manage what belongs to the owner. We handle possessions in a way that pleases the owner, not in a way that pleases us.
3. We are to be Generous
One of the ways God (the owner) is pleased, is by our generosity. Generosity is a lifestyle marked by a willingness, even eagerness, to give. It is a posture of having open hands regarding possessions. Generosity is not marked by hoarding, but by releasing. We, as God’s managers, shift His resources as He desires to meet the needs in His kingdom.
“A right heart results in open hands. Giving to others, including supporting God’s kingdom, with your income, is a matter of the heart. Since generosity is a lifestyle in which you give freely and live open-handedly, this cannot be done without first giving yourself to the Lord.”3
This kind of giving seeks ways to bless others and to support God’s work in the world. It requires us to ask questions like: “Who around me is in need?” “Where are missionaries in need of financial support?” “Are there poor people I can help with groceries, clothes, or medical care?”
In short, generosity turns the priorities of this world upside down. Christ’s followers refuse to allow greed to determine our financial direction. Instead, we give just as God Himself has given. After a lengthy passage on the generosity of Christians in Macedonia, Paul concludes using this example, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15). In our giving, we bear witness to the greatest gift we have ever received. The gift of His Son, our savior, Jesus Christ.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
1– Bible Studies for Life, Productive, by Ronnie and Nick Floyd
2– Psalm 24:1, 2 (HCSB)
3– Bible Studies for Life, Productive, by Ronnie and Nick Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.