Moses sent 12 spies into the promised land to do some reconnaissance. All 12 saw the same thing but only 2 came back ready for battle. 83% of the group voted to not move forward to claim the land that was promised to them by God Himself. 83% of the group cost the Israelites an additional 40 years of wandering in the desert. It was Mark Twain that said,

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

When the majority of the people tell you that you should quit…question it.

When the majority of the people tell you that it’s a bad idea…question it.

When the majority of the people tell you that your idea will never work…question it.

When the majority of the people tell you that the obstacles are too big…question it.

Always question the authority of the majority.

Never let the voice of the majority trump the voice of God’s authority. God uses the minority the majority of the time!

There is a little asterisk beside everything that you say and do. And below that is an unwritten phrase that says, “Whatever you say or do is subject to criticism.” You can’t escape criticism. Trust me, if you are a leader you are being criticized. And even if you are not hearing the criticism, someone else is. By nature, criticism leads to protection. Protection leads to defense. Growth rarely comes out of a defensive posture.

How you handle criticism today molds you into who you will be tomorrow.

Since criticism is inevitable, we might as well embrace it and use it to our advantage. Here are some thoughts on how to handle criticism to your advantage.

• Strip away the emotion from the criticism. This is hard to do since most criticism is saturated in emotion. But listen for what is being said underneath the emotions.
• Instead of trying to protect your motives or reputation, try to see the criticism from the eyes of the criticizer.
• Ask them to elaborate on anything that is not specific. Ask them for examples.
• Mine for the meat, but spit out the bones. There will often be both in the criticism. No need to respond to the bones, just spit em’ out. If you’re not sure if it’s meat or a bone, ask a few close friends to confirm it for you before you dismiss it as a bone.
• If there is legitimacy to the criticism, work through the following questions…

Is there a relationship that needs to be repaired?

Is there a principle that needs to be learned?

Is there a practice that needs to be changed

Is there a sin that needs to be repented of?

• Thank the person for helping you grow as a leader. They just gave you a gift.

How do you handle criticism?

The prophet Elijah was chosen by God to confront the Nation of Israel about their idol worship. They viewed the different gods as a spiritual vending machine. They chose to worship whatever god best suited their situation. Elijah gathered all the people on Mount Carmel and said…

“How long are you going to sit on the fence? If God is the real God, follow him; if it’s Baal, follow him. Make up your minds!”(1 Kings 18:21 Message)

Not much has changed from Elijah’s time to ours. We have different gods in our spiritual vending machines that we choose between depending on our situation. Sometimes it’s the god of money that we worship. Sometimes it’s the god of work. Other times we look to the god of stuff to give us a sense of security.

God wants all of your attention…All of your love…All of your energy.

Here is a song by Regina Spektor called “Laughing With”. I think it shows how we selectively look to God when it’s convenient to us.

What god(s) are replacing your worship of the one true God?

When was the last time that you rested? I’m not talking about sleeping…I’m talking about resting. When was the last time that you put the brakes on, and quieted your life down for a few hours? No agenda…no schedule to keep…no rushing from one activity to another…just rest.

We run so hard, non-stop 24/7. Our vacations are more like working overtime than they are relaxing and unwinding. We think that we’re invincible. We think that we are machines, and forget that we are beings… beings that needs balance. It used to be said that “idleness is the devil’s best tool.” I think that the pendulum has swung to the opposite side and I think it’s now fair to say that “busyness is the devil’s best tool!”

I had an opportunity this week to go away with my family camping in the mountains. We had no agenda other than to rest. We relaxed, we napped, we sat around the camp fire and talked, we went for walks…we planned nothing. It was easy to find time throughout the day to pray, reflect, and listen to the still small voice of God. I needed to hear something from God. I heard from God in the quietness, not in the hustle and bustle. I wonder how often God is trying to speak to me, but the roar of my schedule is drowning out the quiet voice of God?

God often speaks through a quiet whisper, but we’re too busy to hear from Him. When was the last time you shut down, so you could hear the voice of God?

I had a dream not long ago where I showed up for church in my pajamas. I had been there for quite a while before I even realized it. I had sung songs, socialized with friends that I hadn’t seen all week, even gave my offering in the basket all while I was in my pajamas. As I stood up to preach, I noticed that several people were looking at me rather funny and whispering my blunder to their neighbor. The dream worked out ok. I’m glad I was in my pajamas and not my underwear! As I’m sure the dream would’ve taken a different turn.

I got to thinking about that dream and how true it is for many people. There are many Christians that will show up for church tomorrow in their spiritual pajamas. Outwardly, they will be dressed in their finest clothes and looking well prepared on the outside. But on the inside, they will show up completely unprepared, like they just woke up, crawled out of bed, and stumbled into the church all disheveled.

I want to encourage you to come to church prepared. Here are a few thoughts on how to prepare yourself for church…

• Wake up early and spend a few minutes asking God to speak to you today.
• Confess any sin that has gotten in the way of your relationship with Him.
• Meditate on a verse that speaks of God’s greatness.
• Bring your Bible to church with you.
• Refuse to get into an argument with your spouse or kids on the way to church.
• Arrive a 10-15 minutes before the service starts, so you can quiet your heart and not be rushed.
• As you are preparing your heart, ask God to move in your heart and the hearts of the people today.
• Pray for your pastor asking God to speak through him.
• Look around…as God prompts you, pray for specific people as God leads you to.
• As the singing begins don’t just sing the songs…internalize them…focus on the words and the truth behind them.
• Be there…all of you…don’t let your mind wander off to a distant land somewhere far, far away.
• During the sermon, don’t think I wish so & so were here to hear this. Instead, think…God, how do you want to change me today to be more like you?
• After the service is over, don’t be in hurry to leave. Make sure you have heard from God. If you haven’t…it’s not that he didn’t speak, it’s that you didn’t hear.
• Do what God said to do.

Don’t go to church in your pajamas tomorrow…be prepared on the inside!

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2