Criticism Not Welcomed Here 02
Why is it we get mad with the preacher? Why is Pastor always saying the same things?! I'm tired of him always talking about how we need to pray more and how we need to study the word. I'm tired of him telling me that I ought not be unequally yoked together with folk who don't believe and trust in Jesus the way I do. I'm tired of him telling me that I won't experience all that God has for me if I don't trust Him enough to return a faithful tithe. I'm tired of him telling me that if I don't love my neighbor, I don't really love God.
Mad with the preacher! Mad with the preacher?! You ought to be mad with yourself! Ahab never got it though. Remember when Elijah finally came back after the 3 plus year famine? Ahab says, "Oh here comes the Troublemaker!" And Elijah shoots back, "I'm not the troublemaker. You are because you won't do what God tells you to do!"
What keeps us from accepting responsibility for our actions? And the greater question is, when we know we're wrong, why won't we make the necessary changes so that we can be all that God desires us to be? Ahab says Micaiah never has anything good to say about him because he never makes the necessary changes so that he could get commendation rather than condemnation. Change Ahab! And he will have something good to say!
Ahab calls the 400 prophets precisely because he really didn't want the truth. He just wanted affirmation. So many in leadership are guilty of Ahab's fatal flaw here. In order for us to be the best we can be, we need to be told the truth about ourselves. This is the way to excellence. One must tweak and adjust and correct until she or he reaches a higher and yet higher standard. You'll never be at the top of your game if you can't take correction from a coach. Somebody who can stand and look objectively at your game and tell you that your elbow is too far out of line, your wrist isn't releasing freely enough.
And if you don't want to know the truth, don't ask! Finally, Ahab breaks down and sends for Micaiah. Micaiah comes and tells him what he wants to her and then Ahab chastises him because he knows Micaiah ain't telling him the truth. When Micaiah tells him the truth, he gets mad and throws Micaiah into prison and feeds him jailbird rations. Ahab, you didn't want to know the truth! And I know I've been guilty of it: asking somebody for their opinion and then after they give their opinion, there you are making excuses and offering reasons. Nah! Just be quiet, soak it up, reflect on it and act upon it if it's true.
Mad with the preacher! Mad with the preacher?! You ought to be mad with yourself! Ahab never got it though. Remember when Elijah finally came back after the 3 plus year famine? Ahab says, "Oh here comes the Troublemaker!" And Elijah shoots back, "I'm not the troublemaker. You are because you won't do what God tells you to do!"
What keeps us from accepting responsibility for our actions? And the greater question is, when we know we're wrong, why won't we make the necessary changes so that we can be all that God desires us to be? Ahab says Micaiah never has anything good to say about him because he never makes the necessary changes so that he could get commendation rather than condemnation. Change Ahab! And he will have something good to say!
Ahab calls the 400 prophets precisely because he really didn't want the truth. He just wanted affirmation. So many in leadership are guilty of Ahab's fatal flaw here. In order for us to be the best we can be, we need to be told the truth about ourselves. This is the way to excellence. One must tweak and adjust and correct until she or he reaches a higher and yet higher standard. You'll never be at the top of your game if you can't take correction from a coach. Somebody who can stand and look objectively at your game and tell you that your elbow is too far out of line, your wrist isn't releasing freely enough.
And if you don't want to know the truth, don't ask! Finally, Ahab breaks down and sends for Micaiah. Micaiah comes and tells him what he wants to her and then Ahab chastises him because he knows Micaiah ain't telling him the truth. When Micaiah tells him the truth, he gets mad and throws Micaiah into prison and feeds him jailbird rations. Ahab, you didn't want to know the truth! And I know I've been guilty of it: asking somebody for their opinion and then after they give their opinion, there you are making excuses and offering reasons. Nah! Just be quiet, soak it up, reflect on it and act upon it if it's true.
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