62 Evaluation and Criticism

Episode 62 Evaluation and criticism Paul said in one place that we are to examine ourselves, to test ourselves. He was speaking to a church that was struggling with some serious issues, and He was admonishing them to be honest with where they were in the Lord. Are we always willing to face honest evaluation? To evaluate ourselves honestly is not easy. Our first tendency is usually to defend ourselves when criticized in some way. But when we do that, we usually close the door to progress in that area. If we are at rest in our relationship with God, we should never need to fear what comes to us through others. In addition, we need to be able to honestly evaluate ourselves before God, allowing the Holy Spirit to search us as He chooses. This is an essential element of spiritual progress. • Accusation is usually hard to deal with o It touches our person o Our humility is tested (Phil. 2:3) o Others do not know our hearts, but they see our actions • Evaluation of our actions may be accurate o They can be more objective o They see the actions, not the intent o We should be thankful that they care enough to speak to us (Eph. 4:15) • Evaluation of our actions may be wrong o Standing for truth will bring persecution (John 15:20) o We must know that we are holding truth in love o We can rejoice as we share in the sufferings of Christ (Phil. 3:10) • A mixture of right and wrong o Need a spirit of humility to not immediately reject o The Holy Spirit to sift and sort as we wait upon God • I would like to have your evaluation of this podcast o What has it meant to you? o How can I improve? o What subjects would you like to see addressed? • Additional resources at http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ • Theme song "Will Your Anchor Hold" sung by J. Ashley Milne • Comments and questions welcome. Email [email protected]