Anyone here like criticism?

How do you respond to criticism?

Does being criticized bring you down or fire you up?

Do you want to hunker in your bunker or lob your own volley of vitriol back at your critics? 

Learning how to respond to criticism is a lifetime journey. That's because critics will be accompanying you from cradle to grave!

In every election year there is no shortage of negative, critical remarks flying around the airwaves. Of course all politicians virtuously claim they hate "negative" ads. And, of course, every candidate uses them. The justification for both sides is "Negative ads work." Surveys allegedly show that those nasty, negative, often highly personal attacks are the most effective way of swaying public opinion. Negativity, bad-mouthing, accusatory honking profoundly changes the way we think and the way we act.

In a Charlie Brown cartoon, little brother Linus, looking very forlorn, asks big sister Lucy, "Why are you always so anxious to criticize me?" Lucy, looking very self-righteous, replies, "I just think I have a knack for seeing other people's faults." Linus turns indignant. "What about your own faults?" he asks. "I have a knack for overlooking them," says Lucy.

Unfortunately, those best at hurting and critiquing us are those closest to us. In the gospels Jesus is beset by critics. The first in line? His own family members. In fact they thought he was out of his mind.