These are days where our emotions are on high alert. We’ve been through such a rollercoaster this year and we have such little margin for any more changes or moments of upset. I think one of the big things we have disliked the most throughout this year is how out of control we have felt. We don’t tend to deal well with that!

One of the ways we haven’t dealt well with that has been how we have spoken out in our day to day. I can’t remember a time when we have been more critical, more loud, more one sided and less compassionate in my life. I talked about this anger yesterday.

Today I want those of us who have been on the other end of that criticism to remember something that Nicky Gumbel periodically posts on his social media feed.

“Don’t let praise go to your head or criticism go to your heart“

So often we don’t do this at all. Too often we base ‘how we are doing’ on the reactions of others. If people speak well of us and tell us we are brilliant we are on cloud 9, delighted with how we have done but if they tell us what wasn’t brilliant we can wallow in despair at what a mess we are. Whilst there is one of those that I would rather receive, neither is particularly helpful. In this post I want to briefly deal with criticism.

When criticism goes to our heart we lose perspective. Often leaders whose direction has gone off course arrived there because they received critique and moved to fix the problem rather than stepping back and seeing the whole picture. Most criticism comes from one person or a posse who are looking through one lens, their own lens – we all do it. Those people don’t have the wide picture, the full perspective or vista that the leader does, however the leader will often change course because the criticism has infected their heart.

Criticism tells us a lie that it is possible to please everyone. When I receive criticism I immediately believe the lie that if I was a better or different leader that the criticism wouldn’t have come. I think of other leaders and imagine how easy their life must be with everyone thinking they are brilliant and agreeing with their every decision. And then I remember the greatest leader who ever lived, Jesus. The man who catalysed a movement that is still growing and taking ground over 2000 years later – who could argue or critique Him?

It turns out, lots of people! Both today and in His present day!

Everyone can not be pleased, it’s impossible, and therefore a fruitless challenge for those of us in leadership. There is only one person we can aim to please and that is God. Our goal is to follow Him, follow His voice and be courageous to do what He has asked to do.

Our job as a leader is to know at the end of each day, whether we made right or wrong decisions, that the decisions we made were made with integrity and a heart that sought to please the Father. I’d rather have gotten it wrong in the eyes of people but know I’ve been obedient to God than the other way round – easier to say than to do, especially when loud voices remind you of why they aren’t overly happy.

Lead on peeps