B2B: Deal With Complaint and Criticism

Poor Moses.

How did he endure the criticism and complaint of the roughly two million people he led from slavery with God’s miraculous delivery? Had I been in his sandals, my response would have undoubtedly been, “Lord, just shoot me now and put me out of my misery.”

Unfortunately, God’s people still haven’t fully learned how divisive and harmful complaints and criticisms can be. We’re still all-too-quick to find fault, place blame, whine, and complain. Because it’s so detrimental to our spiritual life, the church, and to those watching, we simply must get past this un-Christian behavior.

The ‘Ministry’ of Complaint and Criticism

And just so you know, I ended up completely re-writing this post after spending a hour writing it the first time. Why? Because it turned into one huge complaint (which proves we ALL struggle with this from time to time). That’s why today’s post in the Back to Basics blog series will take a deeper look into what we can do to move past the ‘ministry’ of complaint and criticism. I sarcastically call it a ministry because when we get into this mindset, we often see it as our duty to complain and criticize.

Isn’t it sad that adults can act more childish than say, well, a child? If things don’t go our way, we’re quick to pick up our toys and go home. And before we leave, we usually say a few choice words to the pastor, the Sunday school teacher, the person beside us on the pew, and anyone else who will listen. And even if we’re not ‘in your face’ with our complaint and criticism, we are certainly willing to discuss it with our friends in hushed, under-our-breath tones.

The results are disastrous. There is usually at least one who picks up our criticism/complaint and adds it to their list of grievances. This deadly attitude and disease of the tongue spreads quicker than a Texas wildfire.

Why We Complain and Criticize

Why do we complain and criticize? Simple. We want someone to blame. And we usually look for someone to blame so we don’t have to shoulder the responsibility for our part in the matter.

Jesus’ words about this type of behavior are straight to the point.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Luke 6:37-42)

Moving Past Criticism and Complaint – Action Points

So how do we move past the pervasive problem of criticism and complaint? The Scripture passage above gives us lots of clues.

First of all, when we our dander gets up, and we feel like it’s our duty to complain and criticize, we need to STOP! There’s usually much than what we know about any given situation.
Remember: we get what we give. If we dole out judgment and condemnation, that’s what we’ll receive. On the other hand, if we’re generous with forgiving and giving, we’ll receive those things in return.
Be careful who you follow. We have the tendency to become like those we hang out with. So the best solution? Follow Jesus and try to emulate Him!
We all need to take a good long look in the mirror before we play the blame game. Attempts to assign blame for anything is usually because we’re trying to shirk our own responsibility in the matter. Always ask yourself this question: Is there something I could do that would have brought about a better outcome in the situation I’m getting ready to blame someone else for? Nine times out of ten the answer will be yes. We need to get rid of the beam in our eye before we try to extract someone’s splinter. And once that’s done, remember the Bible’s admonition to be kind and speak the truth in love.

Lord God, forgive our tendency to complain and criticize and pass the blame on to others. Teach us to prayerfully look inward to see our own culpability in each and every situation. Lord, if a situation arises that must be confronted, help us to do it according to Your Word, in the right spirit, and with a heart of love. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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