God’s People are the Best Critics

Um, wow. That’s pretty much all I can say about yesterday’s day on the blog. More people read yesterday’s post, “A Personal Letter to My Homosexual Friends,” than had ever been to our blog in a single day total! For our little corner of the Internet, it was a truly amazing day, and it has spilled over into today. We are humbled when we have a “spike” in traffic like this, and all we can say is “thank you,” because we know it is your likes, tweets, and other interaction that cause this to happen.

So, “thank you.”

On a day like that, however, I am reminded of several things. One is that those who are willing speak the truth, even if it is done in love, will inevitably face detractors who do not speak in love. I usually post links to my articles on some social media sites (like Digg and Reddit), though not always, just to help drive a little (and yes, it is a little) traffic our way. Yesterday, I put a link to the post on the Christianity page on Reddit. Literally, I cannot link to the comments due to the crude, vile, and downright mean language. But it was what you would expect concerning how people are treating the issue of homosexuality. Except, it was on the Christianity page! (Any wonder why people think Christians are hypocritical?)

I am more sad than anything about this reaction to the post, but have made the decision to not post any more to that site. It is not that I will avoid criticism. As a preacher, I face criticism often, and that is okay. I don’t mind it. Instead, it is that I do not have the time to interact on that site, and would rather focus on teaching and encouraging here. The little traffic that Reddit brings our way isn’t worth the effort, and I don’t want negativity to fill my mind.

But then, there were your words about yesterday’s post. It reminded me that God’s people are the best critics. And that’s a good thing.

The comments on the blog yesterday (especially this one) as well as on Facebook and Twitter truly put wind in my sails. That is not to say that they built some type of ego; rather, they reminded me of how wonderfully encouraging Christians–true Christians–are. I’m sure that some came to the article from Facebook or through rss and did not agree with every last word of the post. That is fine. The goal of our blog is not to have you agree with every word we write. However, those who may not have agreed were silent, and those who did agree shared, left kind comments and Facebook comments, and helped to encourage this small-time blogger.

Don’t get me wrong: I need some “negative” feedback sometimes. I am not perfect, and I deserve to be confronted from time-to-time. If we are honest, we all do. After all, if one apostle had to confront another one, I am certainly not above needing some negative feedback!

Here is what I’ve found, though. When I am confronted by a truly Godly person, it is done in decency and with a spirit of humility. The language is genteel, yet straightforward. While there is a boldness, it is obvious that this saint has my eternal soul in mind.

May I ask you to consider your words when you must confront someone? Let’s be honest: we will all have to confront someone at some point. If we never do, then we are not standing up for the truth. But, as the old saying goes, we can disagree without being disagreeable. Others are watching us all the time, and they know we will have confrontation. They want to see how we confront one another.

No one likes it when they are confronted, but we can help the situation if we will simply show love and concern for the person, instead of attacking with vulgar, rude, or accusatory language. Even when confronting, our words need to be “always with grace; seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).

That needs to be true in face-to-face conversations, phone calls, Facebook posts, and Tweets. It needs to be true when we text, call, or write.

And, yes, it needs to be true even when we must criticize. Let’s have a heart of restoration and humility. Let’s build up and encourage, even when we must disagree. Thank you for reminding me of that. You who are God’s people are the best critics, and I’m thankful for you.

QUESTION: What are some tips for confronting without coming across as harsh?

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Photo credit: Garfield Anderssen on Creative Commons

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