Criticism

Why are people critical?

One reason may be if they are jealous of you.  They may feel threatened.  They may criticize you in hopes that if they can knock you down, they think it will make themselves look better or feel better.

 Of course, it never does, but that is their goal.  It actually only makes them feel worse about themselves in the end. 

It may also be when they feel you aren't listening to them.  People become critical more when they feel hurt.  If they feel unloved they may act disrespectfully towards you in some way. 

Another reason may be if they feel offended by you somehow.  Something in your life makes them feel less about themselves. 

They also may feel guilty; when you're doing what they're supposed to do and they're not. 

They also may be demonically inspired.  They are opposed to God, the Bible etc. so they simply don't like you because you are Christian. 

Satan is the accuser of the brethren.  So he uses people to get at us as much as he can, especially if we are doing things to change the world. 

Sometimes Satan even uses other Christians to discourage us, sadly enough. 

Usually it is when people feel small themselves that they criticize others.  They may just be miserable in general.  And for whatever reason, they want to share their misery with others via criticism. 

What is a solution when people are critical of us?

To pray. :)

This is why we are to love our enemies, because often times if someone is mean to you, they themselves need a lot of help.  They need a lot of prayer.

I love the quote, "Those who Need love the MOST, deserve it the Least."  :(

The key is to not let the critical person suck you in.  Do not let them bring you down.  Because if you do, you have let them win.  You have let Satan win over you.   

Instead, keep your distance, pray for them, or try to cheer them up if possible. :)

But don't let them infect you with negativity too.  It can become a disease and sometimes you have to quarentine yourself from people who are always critical or if someone is being critical for a time. 

Don't try to save a drowning person or you too may drown with them.

Some people want help, and it is good to help them, but some really don't want help, and to try to help them is futile and will only harm you in the end. 



http://www.northheartland.org/social.php  check out the sermons on Toxic People from my current church, Heartland Church :)