A Critical Reaction

<p>Tough words hurt. So my friend&mdash;an award-winning author&mdash;struggled with how to respond to the criticism. His new book had earned 5-star reviews plus a major award. Then a respected magazine reviewer gave him a backhanded compliment, describing his book as well-written yet still criticizing it harshly. Turning to friends, he asked, &ldquo;How should I reply?&rdquo;</p> <p>One friend advised, &ldquo;Let it go.&rdquo; I shared advice from writing magazines, including tips to ignore such criticism, or learn from it even while continuing to work and write.</p> <p>Finally, however, I decided to seek the best advice of all. What does Scripture say about how to react to strong criticism? The book of James advises, &ldquo;Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak&nbsp;and slow to become angry&rdquo; (1:19). The apostle Paul counsels us to &ldquo;live in harmony with one another&rdquo; (Romans 12:16).</p> <p>An entire chapter of Proverbs, however, offers extended wisdom on reacting to disputes. &ldquo;A gentle answer turns away wrath,&rdquo; says Proverbs 15:1. &ldquo;The one who is patient calms a quarrel&rdquo; (v. 18). Also, &ldquo;The one who heeds correction gains understanding&rdquo; (v. 32). Considering such wisdom, may God help us hold our tongues, as my friend did. More than all, however, wisdom instructs &ldquo;fear the Lord&rdquo; (v. 33) because &ldquo;humility comes before honor.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>