August 13th - Acts 11:2-3

Acts 11:2-3 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticised him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Criticism always stings. It must have been so hard for Peter to face a barrage of criticism when he returned home to Jerusalem. God had given him a vision and opened his eyes to a new world in which He wanted to welcome everyone to Himself, whether or not they were Jews. How discouraging it must have been to face up to his critics, but we can learn a lot from the way that he did so. Peter would have fully understood where his critics were coming from because, before his recent revelation, he would have been saying exactly the same things himself. So he patiently went through his testimony. Peter’s hearers in Jerusalem were silenced by his story and offered no further objections. Instead, they praised God and acknowledged that he was now willing to accept even the Gentiles. It's never pleasant being criticised, but the best response is to do exactly what Peter did. He gave a calm and thoughtful account of his experiences, explaining how he had come to his conclusion. His moving testimony soon won over his critics. It is always a bad response to be defensive and, worst of all, to be rude. We all need to pray for the wisdom, strength and grace to handle all criticisms, however sharp they may be. In that way, God is honoured and people are built up. Question What have you learned from this story about how you could handle criticism in the future? Prayer Lord, please give me Your wisdom so that I may always respond to criticism with love, thoughtfulness and grace. Amen