Coping with Criticism - 5

This is the final post on the topic of coping with criticism. I hope it's been helpful:

Eighth, consider love. Love your critic. Seek to understand him. Thank him for coming directly to you with his criticism. Be willing to forgive any injury done to you. Pray for your critic and if possible pray with your critic - with integrity and humility. Put away anything that inhibits love. As Peter writes, "Laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings" (1 Peter 2:1). When you do this, you will discover that your own wounds will heal more rapidly.

Ninth, consider eternity. Remember, all criticism for us as true believers is temporary. Our faithful Savior will be waiting for us on the other side of Jordan. He will wipe away every tear from our eye and will prove to be the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. All wrongs will be made right. There our believing critics will embrace us, and we them. We will understand that all the criticism we received here below was used in the hands of our Potter to prepare us for Immanuel's land. We will see fully that all criticisms were but a light affliction compared to the weight of glory that awaited us.