CRITICISM IS FULLTIME EMPLOYMENT: Are you employed?
“If people criticize the shape of your egg, give them a good reason to crack it up and see what’s inside.”
I am sure at some point in our lives, as mature individuals we have been privy to the definition of the word criticism or experienced it during the tenure of our existence on this simple but often complicated earth. That said, have you ever tried to look at both sides of criticism? Maybe. Please permit me to share my views on this subject.
Two actors are at play in the drama of criticism: there are critics and there are the criticized.
The Criticized: Not everyone takes criticism lightly. There have been times in my life when I hated to be criticized and would lose my temper if I felt I was right and someone said I was wrong. That’s human. As I grew into the understanding that even God is a critic (a loving judge) and more so because only He knows and can provide what’s best for us, I started looking at criticism in a different light. And I can tell you, I am happy to have been criticized before; I don’t know what I’m wishing for but I really wish it happens more often to make me grow. There are still many people out there who get offended when criticized, be it rightfully or unjustly. Seriously I cannot promise I won’t frown if someone criticizes me but my reaction is much different now from when I was not saved.
It is true that some criticisms are aimed at making us better persons, pushing us to take a closer look at ourselves in the mirror and make a change, like Michael Jackson sings in the track: Man in the Mirror.
No matter how many times we hear the songs and sermons asking us to judge ourselves and change our ways, and stop judging others, the most difficult task lies in admitting our own faults… especially when we are publicly ostracized and judged for every single utterance we make. That brings us to the question: If all we get is criticism and condemnation when we are wrong, do we owe man the responsibility to explain our shortcomings or does God have the final say in judging us?
I don’t require an answer. A rhetoric that leads me to this explanation: Given that criticism is often judgmental, God’s way of handling this should be the only way because His plans for us are plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future and not to ruin our lives as some critics do (Jeremiah 29:11).
Whatever way you look at it, I hear this verse clearly in my head all the time, Judge not lest ye may not be judged (Mathew 7:1 and 7:2-5 for more details). It is important that we be careful when judging others and acting self-righteous in our ways. Putting others at the mercy of the guillotine is always much easier than standing under the guillotine ourselves, talk less of volunteering to be beheaded. Even when we have been saved by the Grace of God we forget too soon how God saved us and instead of encouraging others to see the light of God we have received, we spend time looking down on them and condemning their zeal to find the highway to heaven.
Well, the key to heaven lies in the hands of the Lord so who could really monopolize it? Neither the critics, nor the criticized. Only on that last day, shall we see who is with us in heaven and who isn’t with us in hell. What determines eternity? Is it words, works, or righteousness? Tough one, right?
My intention today is not to criticize criticism as an act but to offer a “critique” to the motivation of critics. I want to flip it over and look at it with the magnifying glasses I always wear.
The Critics. There are trillions of careers out there and every single day a new career pops up. There is no limit to what mankind can do because God created endless abilities. It is no secret therefore that lots of people make a living as critics. Critics with a positive edge, and critics with a satirical, sarcastic and an often damaging edge. If you fall in any or all of the above, then consider yourself a full time employee, with a job to criticize.
Be grateful that you are criticized. If people were to have just themselves to criticize life would be boring. No one would take them seriously. So outsourcing criticism to those specialized in the business seems to be the best way to go. Read my article (parable of the Onion in Phone call in the Rain) to understand another angle of criticism.
Sometimes, you might not be aware that you are being criticized, but most of the times you are, and if that be the case consider yourself blessed. Take a chance to review the reasons for the criticism and look at the bright side. If there is something you can do, do it. If there’s nothing you can do, then let God do it all and it could only get better as Romans 8:28 says, “all things work for good for them that trust in the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” It means if we find ourselves criticized, we should not take it to heart. Rather we should ask the Lord to turn it around for our own good because His will and purpose for our lives is what matters most. If people criticize the shape of your egg, give them a good reason to crack it up and see what’s inside. The onus is on us to give people full time employment. If all they see is something to criticize and all you do is what pleases God then your purpose is still fulfilled and all criticisms can turn around for your own good.
Life must be really miserable for people who work full time criticizing. It’s like a winter employee in the summer with no snow work to do. That must be frustrating. They need something to fall back on. So I believe critics always need a backup if they can’t find something to criticize. So what do they do? They would surely create a subject for criticism so they can stay in business. Lots of rumors in Hollywood have earned millions of dollars for critics even though they are not always true. The facts are not always in place but the stories sell like hot cake.
Blow it away when rumors about you don’t add up to reality. Blow it away if you realize all the condemnation placed on you simply enables someone to pay their bills. It is said that when holding a hammer all you see suddenly becomes a nail. So my suggestion is this, there is little or nothing you can do to stop a professional carpenter from seeing a nail in you if he must hit a nail for a living every day.
The only time I expect full time destructive critics to become constructive critics is when they are guided by the Word of God. No more, no less. Either ways, I count it all joy when I am criticized and judged because I do what is right in the eyes of the Lord (James 1:2-3). I count it all joy because I know that I don’t walk on my own. Is that the same with you? It’s working for me so it can also work for you. Maybe you haven’t noticed yet: I am a part time critic too. I work for a living and write for a living. I use my personal experiences and observations of our world to make reflections on things I believe could make us all better and make the world a better place thereby giving glory to God.
I’m pretty sure someone somewhere reading this today would find a reason to celebrate and look at criticism in a new way or a new reason to criticize. If you still don’t know how and which direction to take, you have a free helper – The Holy Spirit who always whispers to our often distracted ears. If we took a second to listen we would discover that most of the times he’s simply telling us how best to: “GET A LIFE!”
By LIA
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Irine Lum Asanji (aka LIA) is a freelance writer and journalist based in Brampton, Canada. Born and raised in Cameroon the daughter and sister of Pastors, LIA immigrated to Canada in 2006. She holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism (University of Buea, Cameroon) and a postgraduate degree in Visual Anthropology (University of Tromso, Norway). She has worked as a journalist and Communication Officer with the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC). LIA recently designed and launched a website talktolia.com geared towards Marriage and Family enrichment services, which serves as her ministry and her private business. She is an employee with Broan-Nutone Canada and became born-again in 2011 making her more evangelistic in her approach to writing. She speaks English, French, German and Norwegian. She is a mother of two and enjoys singing, cooking, dancing and a good laugh. She writes under her name and her pen name LIA which also means Lord Is Able.
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