Ignore the Critics
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem,
the circumcised believers criticized him.
Acts 11:2, NIV.
TODAY’S WORD
One time Jesus was in the temple. It
was on the Sabbath, their day of rest. He saw a man with a withered hand. Jesus
simply said, “Stretch forth your hand,” and immediately the man was healed. The
religious leaders, the Pharisees, were there and didn’t like Jesus. Even though
He did something great, they ridiculed Him for doing it on the Sabbath, the day
of rest.
Some people, no matter what you do,
are not going to be for you. Even if you changed, met all their demands and did
everything they asked, they would still find something wrong. I’ve learned that
we can all save a lot of heartache and pain by learning to ignore those
critical voices. You don’t need those people’s approval. You don’t have to have
them cheering you on. They may try to make you look bad, but if you will stay
on the high road and let God fight your battles, the more they talk the more
God will bless you. They may try to take you down, but God will use it to take
you up. Keep focused on your future, keep focused on the Word, and let His
truth strengthen you to ignore the critics and move forward into the life of
blessing He has prepared for you!
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father, today I set my heart and focus
on You. I choose to ignore the critical voices that would try to distract me
from Your plan. Help me to forgive those who come against me and always walk in
love so that I can honor You in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13 NLT)
It is the Holy Spirit’s job to produce Christ-like character in you.
The Bible says, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT). This process of changing us to be more like Jesus is called sanctification.
You cannot reproduce the character of Jesus on your own strength. New Year’s resolutions, willpower, and best intentions are not enough. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our lives. The Bible says, “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13).
Mention the “power of the Holy Spirit,” and many people think of miraculous demonstrations and intense emotions. But most of the time the Holy Spirit’s power is released in your life in quiet, unassuming ways that you aren’t even aware of or feel. He often nudges us with “a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12 NIV).
Christ-likeness is not produced by imitation, but by inhabitation. We allow Christ to live through us. “This is the secret: Christ lives in you” (Colossians 1:27 NLT).
How does this happen in real life? Through the choices we make. We choose to do the right thing in situations and then trust God’s Spirit to give us his power, love, faith, and wisdom to do it. Since God’s Spirit lives inside of us, these things are always available for the asking.
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