There’s a cliché you’ve heard about criticism that is simply untrue. You’ve probably heard: “There’s a kernel of truth in all criticism.” Not necessarily.
When Nehemiah was leading God’s people to rebuild the wall to protect and repopulate Jerusalem, enemies tried to dissuade Nehemiah with criticism (Nehemiah 4:1-3). They mocked the people as feeble and poor, their tools as being rubbish and charred, and their work as something a fox could knock down by merely walking on top of the wall. The enemies said that God’s people believed they could rebuild the wall in a day. If you look at the criticism, there is no truth within it. The people were not poor and feeble; they were God’s people. They never claimed they could finish the wall in a day or by making sacrifices. If Nehemiah believed there had to be some truth in the criticism, perhaps he would have stopped and considered if there was something he needed to change.
But Nehemiah kept going, kept building (Nehemiah 4:6). See, not only is the cliché untrue, but the cliché can be really unhelpful to leaders if they believe it, as the belief in a false cliché could cause leaders to slow down or stop the great work altogether.
Yes, sometimes there is truth within criticism. Obviously, there is always truth within wise and godly rebukes, and sometimes there is truth even within critiques. But not always. So don’t let that cliché enslave you as a leader or steer you from giving your all to what you are building.
