One Way to Defeat Worry: Never Answer Your Critics

In his practical book, How to Win Over Worry, Pastor John Edmund Haggai, not to be confused with John Hagee, says that one way to defeat the power of worry over our lives is to develop poise in the face of criticism. I love what he writes here:

...follow the example of our Lord [Jesus], who answered His critics so often with silence. Our Lord defended other people. He defended the Word of God. He defended the work of His heavenly Father. He defended little children. Yet He never defended Himself.

Usually you will find it wise not to answer your critics, tempting though it may be to do so. "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him" (Proverbs 26:4).

Ask yourself what answering criticism will achieve. Your friends don't need an answer, because you retain their confidence. Instead, listen to the criticism objectively. Don't allow yourself to become emotionally involved. Sometimes you can profit from criticism. If the criticism is just, do something about it. If the criticism is unjust, ignore it.

On the other hand, if your enemies criticize you, so what? That's what enemies do. And remember that unjust criticism is often a backhanded compliment. It often indicates that you have excited the interest, jealousy, and envy of the critic. As the old adage goes, "No one ever kicks a dead dog."

Antidote to Worry

These brief thoughts presented by my colleague, Pastor Glen VanderKloot, from a John Ortberg book and the passage of Scripture that inspired them from Philippians 4:4-8, is worth the short time it will take you to read them.

We human beings can weave all sorts of horrible scenarios with the gift of imagination we have from God.

Or, we can focus on what is true and real and noble.

Doing the latter can make a huge difference in our lives and in the lives of those we touch every day.

By the way, if you haven't read the book from which Glen quotes, The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg, I recommend it highly!