Oct 9, 2020 … Critical Response

Berry Patch Devotions in 2020 - Day 283 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...    Please take the time to take in images, song and lyrics from a group Here Be Lions singing … I Speak Jesus … poignantly singing of how, as Christians, everything we say should reflect our Lord’s grace to others. 

How do we handle criticism? 

==============

Highlight Passage:  Proverbs 15:18 [ESV] ... 

18  A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.</i>

…    God advice from God about how to handle criticism. 

=============  

Highlight Passage [Context]: …   Proverbs 15:1-2, 18, 31-33 [ESV] ... USE THIS LINK … 

… God, thru Solomon, gives His wisdom on how to handle criticism well, … for God’s glory. 

============= 

Reference Passage: …  Proverbs 15:1 [ESV] … 

1  A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  

… More from God’s advice, thru Solomon, about verbal confrontations.    

Reference Passage: …  Matthew 5:9 [ESV] …  

<i>  9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. </i> 

… Jesus blesses those who make peace rather than stir up conflict.   

Reference Passage: …  Ephesians 4:29 [ESV] …  

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  

… Paul exhorts fellow Christians to speak only those things which edify or give grace to the hearer.

Reference Passage: …  James 1:19 [ESV] …  

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; … 

… James exhorts Christians to be quick to listen but slow to speak in anger …  

Reference Passage: …  James, Chapter 3  [ESV] …  USE THIS LINK …  

… James warns fellow Christians about the use of the tongue to express Godly wisdom rather than demonic anger. 

My Devotional Journal: Today's Our Daily Bread author, Patricia Raybon, AT THIS LINK wrote of a young, noted author who looked to God’s word to help him know how to respond to a somewhat critical review of his new book.  

And when we dig into God’s wisdom on reacting or responding to harsh criticism, we read a lot, don’t we (see Scriptures above)?  From the wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs 15; … to the Apostle Paul exhorting Christians to speak (or write) only those things which edify or give grace to others (Eph. 4:29); … or James, the brother of Jesus, warning us to be slow to respond with what we say or write to others, especially in anger (see James 1:19 or James 3); … or to Jesus, Himself, … who blesses those who do all they can to be peacemakers (see Matt. 5:9). 

Great, … GODLY advice!!  But, oh how easy it is to get riled up on social media or in digital communication these days and let our anger spill out into the words we use in response.  Can I get a witness?  

So, today, … I pray that we all will use the advice from God’s word above and do what is sung in today’s linked song; … and that is to speak or write only words which “speak Jesus.”   

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh Abba Father, ... thank You, Lord, … for showing us the way to reply to those who criticize us.  

My Prayer Today:  Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... I pray that all reading here will join me to follow Your lead, Lord, by being peacemakers thru the way we speak or write to others, especially those who criticize or attack us.    … Amen

=============

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.