“For eight weeks, this pastor called Billy personally to com-
plain that his work was being hindered, and that Billy didn’t care
about local churches,” recalled Cliff. “Billy told him we were try-
ing to follow the Lord’s leading, and that he wanted to encourage
his church members, not hinder them. The congregation told the
pastor they wanted to promote the meetings and be part of them,
but they sensed his hostility.
“On the last weekend Billy called him and said, ‘Sir, I want to
thank you for the leadership your church has provided in this
series of meetings, and you would do me a great honor to sit with
me on the platform. I’d like to introduce
you and ask you to lead in prayer.’ The
pastor was overwhelmed.”
Later, according to Cliff, the pastor
asked Billy to forgive him. “He told Billy
that if he ever preached within a hun-
dred miles of his church, he would be there, as would his con-
gregation. They became good friends.”
Sometimes the best way to get rid of a critic is to turn him into
a friend. Through a grace-filled and humble response, leaders can
sometimes do that.
Accept the Gift of a Good Enemy
Every once in a while someone will be honored at an awards
gala, and the honoree will thank his friends and then say this: “I
also want to thank my enemies.”
The audience is jarred. Enemies? What’s he saying? Why is
he thanking his enemies?
“Without my enemies,” the person of high achievement says,
“I never would have been challenged to reach the next level,
never would have found the determination to excel.”
Sometimes we need enemies to press us to new heights, just
as a football team needs a challenging opponent to drive them
to extraordinary effort. Billy did not let his critics control his
agenda or his emotions. He personified his commitment to the
gospel of love.
Loving Harsh CriticsThere is a kernel of truth in
every criticism. Look for it,
and when you find it, rejoice
in its value.
DAWSON TROTMAN