Will You Hear Them Now

By Jennifer Slattery –

When I first began writing, I’d ask my husband to read my work then offer feedback. Each time he did, if he said anything remotely corrective, I’d get upset and feel the need to argue with him. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before he quit offering feedback. That was when I realized I preferred the constructive criticism, as hard as it was to swallow, to the wall of silence.

In essence, I came to a point where I had to choose—did I want someone to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear, or was I truly wanting to learn and grow?

Proverbs 9:7-9 says: “Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more” (NLT).

To become wise, to grow, I had to go from a mocker, one who spurns truth and correction, to the wise, one who soaks it up and listens, receiving criticism with an open heart.

This applies to all areas of life: parenting, at work, in our small groups or Bible studies.

And I suspect, to receive constructive criticism, to take it in and prayerfully consider it, requires a great deal of humility.

Pause for a moment to think of how you typically respond to criticism or correction. If you respond by getting defensive or upset, why do you think this is?

Do you tend to receive criticism better from some people than others? If so, why do you think this is?

What about your children? Do you allow them to openly share their concerns? Do you find this to be a hard balance between maintaining the parental role and creating an open environment for communication?

What changes in thinking need to take place in order for you to openly evaluate criticism received?