How to Respond to Criticism

Jeremiah 18:18–23
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

The people refused to accept Jeremiah’s declaration of doom because it conflicted with the life they were enjoying (vv. 18-23). Proud sinners don’t enjoy hearing about God’s sovereignty or the threat of impending judgment. Their solution was to attack him with their tongues in an effort to slander and malign his message (v. 18). Just like people today, they thought that by silencing the messenger they would silence the Lord. Jeremiah told the Lord that they were even plotting to take his life (“they have dug a pit” v. 21). Jeremiah reacted to their threats by calling on God to listen to their accusations and to judge these plotters for their sin. He called on God to deal with them in His time of anger (vv. 21-23). Faithful servants of God don’t enjoy opposition but they learn to expect it. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

We need to realize that Jeremiah felt deep pain because the leaders of his day rejected the truth. How do you suppose you or I would react if we were attacked by hateful enemies who lied about us, set traps for us, and dug pits for us? Perhaps we would also get upset and ask God to deal with them. There is a righteous anger against sin that is acceptable to God, “Be angry, and sin not.” (Eph.4:26). If it doesn’t seem right to us that Jeremiah gets angry perhaps some of us don’t get angry enough about the sin in this present evil world. The media has exposed to us so much sin that we tend to accept it as a normal part of life and don’t want to do anything about it. We have compromised to the point that it isn’t “politically correct” to be critical of ideas that are definitely unbiblical.

Application

How do I respond to criticism when I speak up for the Lord? Am I more concerned about what people think or what God commands?