David Diga Hernandez - 3 Things I've Learned About Dealing with Criticism and Slander

So this message is for those who are in ministry or who feel called to ministry. Remember this, as God promotes you, people will attack you. Whether they’re attacking you out of jealousy or whether they’re attacking you because they feel like it’s the right thing to do or whether they’re attacking you because they imagine that somehow it’s going to help them, people will attack you, expect it. This is what the Bible says in John Chapter 15, Verse 20. «Do you remember what I told you? A slave is not greater than the master. Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you». Look, I’ve seen people in ministry lose their minds, their peace, their focus just because they didn’t know how to handle criticism and slander. When criticism and slander came against them, they lost their minds, they lost their character, it changed their preaching, their bitterness seeped into their messages. Don’t let that be you. So I’m gonna give you three biblical keys to dealing with criticism and slander.

Here’s key number one, pray for your critics. This is so important because it helps to humanize those who are coming against you. And as your heart becomes softened to them as individuals you’re able to see things clearer and from God’s perspective. Now, it’s important at this point to note that there’s a difference between slander and criticism, and you deal with these two in slightly different ways. Slander is deceptive communication that presents your motives, words, and actions in a dishonest and negative way. On the other hand, criticism is opposition to something you teach or represent or a certain method that you use. Here’s an example of slander. Well, the pastor didn’t shake my hand today and because he didn’t shake my hand that proves that he’s arrogant and prideful and he needs to repent of his arrogance and pride. Okay, that’s slander because they’re taking an instance and then interpreting it through their bitterness and spinning it in a negative light. Now, criticism is different. Criticism would be something like, well, I don’t agree with his stance on tongues, and here’s why I don’t agree with his stance on tongues. Or I don’t agree with his stance on the doctrine of healing, and here’s why I disagree with his stance on the doctrine of healing. Someone who slanders is usually a bitter person who is gifted at playing the victim and putting a negative spin on whatever you do or say. On the other hand, someone who criticizes disagrees with something you teach or dislikes a certain method you use. Pray for those who slander you because they are broken and spiritually immature. Pray for those who criticize you because they need to realize they’re attacking fellow believers. Matthew 5:44 says, «But I say, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you». Now is slander persecution? Is criticism persecution? Absolutely. You see, there are different levels to persecution. The lowest form of persecution is when someone speaks against you. Now, even though it’s the lowest form of persecution doesn’t mean that it’s not persecution at all. Yes, when you are being slandered, when someone is criticizing you unnecessarily or unfairly that is a form of persecution, especially since you’re doing something for God. So something happens in your heart when you begin to pray for those who come against you. You pray blessings on them, healing for them. Pray that God would bless their families. Pray that God would bless their mind, their emotions. Pray that God would give them greater revelation. Pray that God would let them know joy and peace. And in doing this, you’re actually helping to align them with the will of God while simultaneously guarding your heart. When you can pray for those who slander you, when you can pray for those who criticize you, it places compassion in your heart for them. And when you see them from the perspective of compassion it changes your whole perspective and it stops your peace from being taken from you. When someone comes against you and starts criticizing you it’s easy to become obsessed with it, to become emotional about it, to become worried about it. But when you start to pray for them, that’s where the transformation begins to take place within you. And to some degree, when you pray for your critics you almost gain this strange respect for them because you begin to realize, well they’re just doing what they believe is the right thing. But the slanderers, you gain compassion for them because you realize their slander is coming from the place of a victim mindset and hurt and bitterness and spiritual immaturity. And so you become compassionate toward them and you guard your heart against bitterness. Romans 12:21 says, «Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good». Forgive, let it go and move on.

Now here’s key number two. This is gonna be a very difficult one to do, but it’s necessary. Key number two, stay silent. Don’t say a word. Now, let me balance this real briefly. Yes, there are times when you need to address certain criticisms and certain forms of slander. There are times when that’s necessary. But 99,9% of the time when you are being criticized, when you are being slandered, don’t say a word. Now, when I first started in ministry it was very different for me. These days when people criticize me or slander me or make a video about me or we’ve had people even protesting outside of our services with signs saying that I’m not of God. Nowadays I can laugh it off because I realize it’s not gonna do anything. But when I first started in ministry, oh my goodness, I thought I had to answer every critic. I thought I had to find them and explain it to them. I thought I had to give an answer for every question that was raised against me and I would feel trapped. I would feel like, well, if I stay silent people are gonna believe them, but if I go out and speak against it, people are gonna attack me more. And so I felt like I was trapped in this place and it wasn’t always the slander that hurt me. You see, it wasn’t just the slander that would get to me. And in your case, it will be something similar. It’s not the slander that gets to you, it’s the fact that people believe the slander simply because it was spoken. People who should know better, people who followed you for a long time, people who understand who you really are, they can hear slander and then they start going, oh my goodness, well, I never knew that about them. Or I never saw them from that perspective. Well, I never disagreed with that point but you bring up an interesting point. And that’s where things can really become emotional. Now, as I said, when I first started in ministry that was a struggle for me. These days, I just recognize sometimes people are just gonna believe slander. Sometimes people are just gonna believe criticism. Sometimes people are just gonna be against you just by what someone else says, and that’s okay. Let it be so. Let God vindicate you.