“Job: Responding to Criticism”
Intro: As we have read through the books of Job this past week, we have seen one thing for certain: Job faced a lot of criticism. The book of Job teaches us many lessons: the faithfulness of God, the battle of the spiritual realm, the nature of suffering, and also the certainty of criticism. If you want to be assured of criticism, get into the ministry: you’ll surely face criticism. Whenever there are two people, you can be sure there are probably three ways of looking at any situation.
Job was a good man, who tried to do right, and who faced great loss. Why? Because God was making a point to Satan about the faithfulness of Job. But Job was never told that. All Job knew was that he faced great criticism, and that by his three close friends.
Read 2:11-13 - When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No-one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Job’s three friends came to offer comfort. Yet, what they ended up doing was to accuse Job of sinfulness. As we read through the book, we see their allegations of sinfulness of Job’s part increasing.
Read Job 22:5-21 Job was faced with open rebuke for sinfulness.
I. How do we respond to criticism?
-Realize your critics will not always speak truth - in 42:7 [After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.] God affirms that Job’s friend did not speak that which was right. Often when we are criticized we need to realize that all criticisms made against us will not be true.
-Realize friends may criticize you - These were three good friends who had sacrificed greatly to come and be with Job. Yet, their advice was not right. They did not speak with godly wisdom.
-Realize critics may have a good heart and motives but speak untruth - Job’s three friends were concerned about him, and they wanted to see his wealth restored, but they firmly believed that they were right in accusing Job of sinfulness. They leveled accusations against Job, but they never gave proof of Job’s sinfulness.
-Some criticism claims to come from God - yet not everyone claiming to speak for God really does.
God’s will is never contrary to his word. [Some divorce because God brought them together.]
God’s word must always be our primary guide. We can be mistaken when we think we are interpreting dreams and signs.
**GPC - cotton farmer - preached Christ - failure - heaven - “Go Plow Cotton”
Job 4:12-19 - Eliphaz claims to have a message from God. We know from chapter 42 he didn’t speak for God, but he claims he did. "A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it. Amid disquieting dreams in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake. A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end. It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: `Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker? If God places no trust in his servants, if he charges his angels with error, how much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who are crushed more readily than a moth!
-Satan attacks when you’re down. We find Job sitting on an ash heap scraping his sores. Along come three friends who rebuke him for sinfulness. Along comes his wife, who is supposed to care, and tells him to curse God and die. His brothers and sisters are nowhere to be found.
Deal with criticism on a rational level, don’t respond emotionally - As Job responds to his critics, he looks for valid rational arguments. Job 31:4-8 - Does he not see my ways and count my every step? "If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit-- let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless-- if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, or if my hands have been defiled, then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted.
-Be open to any truth in the criticism - One thing we always need to be aware of is the question if there is any truth in any accusation made against us. It is very easy to dismiss accusations as unfounded just because of who leveled them against us. But even an adversary can see areas that we need to change. Let’s make sure we are open to correction and reproof.
Prov. 15:31-32 - He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
II. How do you respond when the criticism is false?
The problem that Job faced was that the accusations lodged against him were false. He had been honoring God, and still he faced loss. He was accused of sinfulness. How does Job respond?
-Keep focused on issues of truth - It is easy to get off the subject of the criticism and get onto personal issues of whether or not you like the person offering the criticism. We see even Job getting off track, accusing his friends of being poor counselors. Job becomes sarcastic about their advice.
Job 26:2-4 - "How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble! What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed! Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?
Job becomes very critical of them personally. He says they are not helpful.
Job 16:2-5 - "I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
We need to be careful not to make personal attacks against those who would criticize us.
Let’s learn from the example of Christ.
1 Peter 2:21-24 - To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
- When we are falsely criticized, we need to allow God to come to our defense - In Job 42:7-9 God comes to the three critical friends and upholds Job’s innocence - After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.
-We need to maintain our truthfulness and integrity - so often we want to falsely apologize to go on from the issue. In spite of all his friends accusing him, Job continued to uphold his integrity.
Job 27:5 - I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
*Mrs. Love - hot - sure is - cold - yes it is
-it doesn’t matter what others think, if you know you are right. While we can assert truth, we cannot always change our critics and accusers.
III. How do you respond when the criticism is true?
-Repent of untruth/wrong - James 5:16 - Therefore confess your sins to each other.
Whenever we sin and do wrong, we need to come quickly and confess our sins to God, yes, but also to our fellow man and seek forgiveness from the ones we have wronged.
-Remember God’s love and relationship to you - It is enough for Job when he hears from the Lord. Job had wanted to make his case before the Lord, but as God comes to him, Job realizes his own ignorance before the almighty God. It is enough for Job to know that God was with him.
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
The forgiveness of God is great.
1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Exodus 34:6 - "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
We serve a God who loves to offer his forgiveness.
IV. How do you go on from criticism?
-Realize friends may leave when things go bad - know your true friends (42:11) All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. - Where were all these friends when he was suffering and under criticism??
-Recognize the greater plan of God for your life - let God bring good out of bad (42:10) - After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.
-Pray for those who have criticized you (42:8)
Luke 6: 27 - "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you.
-Focus on what is important - don’t get sidetracked - Job learned that it didn’t matter what others thought of him. He simply needed to be faithful to serving God!
Concl: So, how do you work through criticism when it comes?
A. Confronting in Love -
Eph. 4:15 - speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Gal. 6:1 - Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
B. Covering in Love -
1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
One thing I would have us think about this morning is that not everything needs confronted. Matters of sinfulness ALWAYS need confronted, but not necessarily by you. Yet matters not of a sinful nature don’t always need a confrontation. Remember that tree that fell on the fence. Can you get the church involved, YES. Does the church need to be involved, NO, it’s possible to simply overlook the fault and extend love to that neighbor.
C. Considering in Love - Let’s remember that as we go through conflicts, we need to make sure that we look at our brother in a better light than we view ourselves.
*1 Peter 3:8 - live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
1 Th. 5:11 - Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Col 3:13 - Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Rom. 14:13 - Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling-block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
Phil. 2:3 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
-Let’s be wise as we face criticism!
