Dealing With Criticism

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:05.759 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours, and me, 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:11.470 Lord, I am yours. I welcome to the Gospel Center per life podcast. 3 00:00:11.630 --> 00:00:14.310 As you're out there on the sidewalk doing ministry, you're going to deal 4 00:00:14.349 --> 00:00:18.269 with criticism from all kinds of angles. We're going to talk today about how 5 00:00:18.269 --> 00:00:26.260 to deal with that criticism. Stay with us. I felt show passish, 6 00:00:27.260 --> 00:00:36.530 touch your heart. Use Me. Welcome to the Gospel Center per life podcast. 7 00:00:36.609 --> 00:00:39.810 Appreciate you, guys, joining us and we're going to try to get 8 00:00:39.810 --> 00:00:44.689 right into our subject, a subject that really sprung out of some conversations that 9 00:00:44.810 --> 00:00:47.850 you, Vicki, had with some of our local volunteers here, as a 10 00:00:48.090 --> 00:00:51.600 lot of these podcasts do, these are right situations that we face. People 11 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:55.560 reach out to US v Email and stuff like that and put questions out there, 12 00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:00.679 but most of it's kind of like Daytoday, ministering and encouraging our local 13 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:03.510 volunteers, seeing the stuff that they struggle with, especially the relational stuff, 14 00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:07.989 how to fight discouragement. We've done podcast about that, podcast about just other 15 00:01:08.069 --> 00:01:12.390 subjects along these lines, kind of relational stuff. Yeah, and this is 16 00:01:12.629 --> 00:01:15.230 is no different than one of those subjects. This is how to deal with 17 00:01:15.349 --> 00:01:21.579 criticism right and it's going to come, if it hasn't already come to you, 18 00:01:21.700 --> 00:01:23.900 guys that are listening, whether you again be local volunteers with us or 19 00:01:25.540 --> 00:01:29.659 missionaries around the country, around the world or just people get involved in sidewalk 20 00:01:29.739 --> 00:01:33.250 ministry, people are going to criticize what you do. Hey, there's a 21 00:01:33.290 --> 00:01:37.530 lot of context in which they might criticize you. There's a I mean we 22 00:01:37.609 --> 00:01:42.329 got social media, all kinds of social media platforms. We've got obviously personal 23 00:01:42.569 --> 00:01:46.049 relationships with people, or there's a context where they can criticize us, your 24 00:01:46.129 --> 00:01:49.959 relationship with people at Church. So people can criticize you. They got all 25 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:57.239 kinds of methods to criticize you in this that's right, and criticism can can 26 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:02.030 be certainly discouraging and I think it is one of the reasons why some folks 27 00:02:02.150 --> 00:02:07.629 stop coming to the sidewalk right and and it was two counselors in one week 28 00:02:07.909 --> 00:02:14.349 that came to me and said how are you out there for all these years, 29 00:02:14.629 --> 00:02:20.419 that many times a week and deal with the criticism? Specific question on 30 00:02:20.620 --> 00:02:23.219 how I dealt with that and I thought, you know, we discussed a 31 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:30.729 little bit right before we started this that we don't really feel like we care 32 00:02:30.889 --> 00:02:34.330 much about criticism any more out on the sidewalk, but I think I did 33 00:02:34.569 --> 00:02:38.930 more when I was less secure that I knew what I was doing or that 34 00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:43.810 it was effective, and also just knew when I was new. Yeah, 35 00:02:43.969 --> 00:02:47.800 absolutely, and you know in our walk with the Lord, I mean there's 36 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:53.840 criticisms that come down the pipeline. I am I'm a pentecostal believer. Yeah, 37 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:57.800 might be surprised at that, but I believe in the gifts of the 38 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.229 spear it. Yeah, now, now I'm not like in kind of the 39 00:03:00.349 --> 00:03:04.030 weird vein. Maybe I am probably to some of you people, to some 40 00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:06.189 people, you are saying that I'm going to cost. It was weird. 41 00:03:06.270 --> 00:03:10.750 But I've gotten criticism because I was saved in a Baptist Church and I love 42 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:15.460 Baptist people. I was man up that one of my well, my accountability 43 00:03:16.139 --> 00:03:20.099 Guy, who I meet within a monthly basis, is a baptist preacher. 44 00:03:20.539 --> 00:03:23.699 Okay, awesome man of God, and so I don't have any problem with 45 00:03:23.780 --> 00:03:29.810 that. But I have gotten criticism from people in my past also criticism from 46 00:03:29.810 --> 00:03:32.930 people even now of my beliefs in the gifts of the spirit or things like 47 00:03:34.009 --> 00:03:37.729 that. Baptism, Holy Spirit. Hey, and so I think criticism, 48 00:03:38.530 --> 00:03:42.439 I say all that to say, is a common theme no matter what. 49 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:49.960 Realm of Christian ministry walk with the Lord, whatever life. Yeah, I 50 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:53.759 mean you, you are going to get criticized, whether you're in ministry or 51 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:58.909 not. In learning to deal well with criticism is important. And even as 52 00:03:58.949 --> 00:04:03.430 an unbeliever, MMM, criticism is a part of life dealing with people in 53 00:04:03.550 --> 00:04:06.870 a fallen world. You're a fallen person yourself. We see, as Paul 54 00:04:06.909 --> 00:04:12.379 says, we see in a glass dimly, like we don't see everything perfectly. 55 00:04:12.539 --> 00:04:15.339 And Hey, and unfortunately there are some people that think they do see 56 00:04:15.339 --> 00:04:18.939 everything perfectly, and those are a lot of times the people that are very 57 00:04:18.980 --> 00:04:25.290 critical. But also we have to acknowledge that criticism being a normal part of 58 00:04:25.490 --> 00:04:30.449 life. Sometimes criticism is necessary. Like we need what they might call constructive 59 00:04:30.529 --> 00:04:35.370 criticism. If we're never open to any kind of criticism at all, that 60 00:04:35.569 --> 00:04:39.959 speaks more about us and it does about the people that are critiquing us. 61 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.720 Right. Yeah, we need to be open and at least here out, 62 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:47.279 I think, if people criticize you for your ministry on the sidewalk, at 63 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:51.519 least here it out. But I think we'll get into more this in depth 64 00:04:51.800 --> 00:04:57.589 criticism and people's opinion of you can't be what defined you. Right. Got 65 00:04:57.709 --> 00:05:00.189 To be defined by what God says. Yeah, and and, like you 66 00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:06.110 said, you're going to face criticism from all parts of life, not not 67 00:05:06.459 --> 00:05:12.500 just in ministry, but in in a this kind of ministry, and the 68 00:05:13.139 --> 00:05:18.139 very strong feelings of the opposition, the socalled pro choice people, versus the 69 00:05:18.500 --> 00:05:27.689 pro life people. The criticism is sometimes very, yeah, very significant. 70 00:05:27.730 --> 00:05:30.449 Yeah, absolutely harsh. Yeah, and I think you were the one that 71 00:05:30.569 --> 00:05:35.920 I first heard say this and I thought it was so true. That there's 72 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:43.240 IT. It starts off at really at an attempt to discourage. Yeah, 73 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:47.160 and and you said, I. You said to someone when that is ineffective, 74 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:54.509 when they're not able to discourage, then the criticism moves into intimidation, 75 00:05:54.589 --> 00:05:59.470 right, and that really stuck with me because that is true. Yeah, 76 00:06:00.269 --> 00:06:05.540 it can escalate and that definitely the criticism that has turned into intimidation is is 77 00:06:05.819 --> 00:06:10.300 much harder, yeah, to deal with out on the sidebox. Yeah. 78 00:06:10.420 --> 00:06:13.259 Yeah. So, yeah, and all of that's designed, especially, like 79 00:06:13.379 --> 00:06:15.860 you said, from the quote pro choice pact, which we know are pro 80 00:06:15.939 --> 00:06:19.410 abortion people. Right, all of that criticism and all of these really it's 81 00:06:19.410 --> 00:06:25.370 accusations that are thrown at us. Is designed to discourage us. Right. 82 00:06:25.410 --> 00:06:28.529 And if you talk about the word discouragement, like to explain it in the 83 00:06:28.610 --> 00:06:31.649 terms of courage. Right, that's that's the root word of discourage is courage, 84 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:34.720 and to discourage someone is to knock the courage out of you. Right, 85 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:39.120 I have never thought of that. Never thought of that. Well, 86 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:42.360 that that is really good. They want it's discourage, they want to take 87 00:06:42.439 --> 00:06:46.230 the courage out of you. And the devil uses criticism to get the courage 88 00:06:46.269 --> 00:06:49.670 out of us. Right. And so, as kind of a side notes 89 00:06:49.870 --> 00:06:54.269 all of you guys that are involved in ministry, we've got to be intentional 90 00:06:54.470 --> 00:06:58.230 with each other, with people there were ministering alongside, to do the best 91 00:06:58.269 --> 00:07:01.459 we can to encourage right, because we get it from the pro abortion people, 92 00:07:01.540 --> 00:07:05.620 this discouragement, this criticism. You're this, you're that, you're not 93 00:07:05.819 --> 00:07:09.139 this, you're not that. Why don't you do this? Why don't you 94 00:07:09.180 --> 00:07:11.579 do that? You could do this better, you could do that better. 95 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:15.850 We get all of that from the pro choice people. But, as you 96 00:07:16.089 --> 00:07:20.490 have in this article that were kind of using as our format here, the 97 00:07:20.649 --> 00:07:26.009 most difficult criticism to deal with is not from the pro choice people because we 98 00:07:26.050 --> 00:07:30.399 recognize the spirit that thereof. It's really from other Christians. Yeah, and 99 00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:32.120 that's what happen. Yeah, you know, I talked a little bit about 100 00:07:32.120 --> 00:07:35.959 kind of my background and some of the criticism I've gotten in my walk with 101 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:42.839 God and you know, the the the pentecostal angle. I guess that that, 102 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:46.269 I feel like is in the word of God that I've gotten criticism for 103 00:07:46.350 --> 00:07:50.790 that and for alignment with the craziness of Pentecostals or whatever. Yeah, and 104 00:07:51.949 --> 00:07:56.550 that's been pretty discouraging from people because, you know, a lot of times 105 00:07:56.629 --> 00:08:01.339 criticism from other believers comes from from really just ignorance or heard from somebody, 106 00:08:01.379 --> 00:08:05.660 that heard from somebody. And, as it pertains to Sydebalg Ministry, a 107 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:11.300 lot of the cris criticisms that I've heard from other believers really are most almost 108 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:16.569 parenting. Like pro choice people. Sometimes they do ask the same things. 109 00:08:16.769 --> 00:08:22.009 They they why don't you feel that there's a better way to reach these women? 110 00:08:22.050 --> 00:08:26.649 I hear that all the time, don't you it? Shouldn't you be 111 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:33.240 at pregnancy resource centers or or, you know, or showing with your life 112 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:37.399 as opposed to with your words? Yeah, what? What? And sometimes 113 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:41.710 you like these people? Just talk to these pro boorts and get their criticisms 114 00:08:41.710 --> 00:08:45.870 and their ideas about criticism and how they could critique us from the pro abortion 115 00:08:45.909 --> 00:08:48.909 people. And you know, I don't want to, I don't want to 116 00:08:48.950 --> 00:08:54.789 put those people in the same camps together, but I do know that a 117 00:08:54.870 --> 00:09:00.620 lot of times the criticisms that come down the pipeline come from worldly sources and 118 00:09:00.740 --> 00:09:03.059 people heard it from somebody. You right, you're out there yelling at women 119 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:07.820 and right harassing and shaming people and all that. Yeah, and when I 120 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:11.169 have a believer accused me of that, somebody that know that love Jesus, 121 00:09:11.850 --> 00:09:16.409 I'll ask them the question. Have you ever been out there on the sidewalk 122 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:20.169 and in variously next to one of our counselors? Yeah, because if you 123 00:09:20.289 --> 00:09:24.440 have, promise you, all the stuff that you're saying is really as accusations 124 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:28.080 as criticisms you're going to see or just just false. So come out. 125 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:33.320 That's always my encouragement. Right, come out stand with one of our teams. 126 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:35.240 Now it may be that they've been out to an abortion center, they've 127 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:39.870 seen, you know, other people doing it some way or whatever, but 128 00:09:39.950 --> 00:09:43.549 I promise you, if you'd come out and stand with some of our counselors 129 00:09:43.590 --> 00:09:48.029 out here. You're going to see a, I believe, consistent, Biblical 130 00:09:48.870 --> 00:09:54.700 Really Ministry on the sidewalk that's consistent with the scripture, not just harassing people 131 00:09:54.860 --> 00:09:58.340 or, you know whatever, condemning and all that other stuff. You're going 132 00:09:58.340 --> 00:10:03.899 to see a biblically consistent ministry and a lot of your criticisms are going to 133 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:07.649 be shown as false actual. Yeah. Now, sometimes I have had people 134 00:10:07.769 --> 00:10:11.970 come down to to talk with me when they've been listening for a while. 135 00:10:13.049 --> 00:10:16.730 Yeah, and they come and say, I'm a Christian, I want to 136 00:10:16.809 --> 00:10:20.649 start with that. I I'm pro life and I'm a Christian, but this 137 00:10:20.970 --> 00:10:26.759 is I hate what you're doing. Yeah, and they start to quote or 138 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:31.600 what they think are Biblical Commandments, which they're not. The people you mean 139 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:35.070 people that are at the abortion are that may be brought a friend an abortion 140 00:10:35.309 --> 00:10:39.830 no, no, actually, I'm thinking of where this last happened, was 141 00:10:39.909 --> 00:10:45.990 at an abortion center off of wend over where there are clients from all other 142 00:10:46.110 --> 00:10:48.110 things. They're not just, therefore, to walk into the abortion side of 143 00:10:48.149 --> 00:10:52.019 there's other businesses there. Yeah, so they they have seen, they've observed 144 00:10:52.419 --> 00:10:58.299 and they they actually think they know what's going on there and and they accuse 145 00:10:58.779 --> 00:11:03.929 out of what they believe the Bible says. But when they enter into a 146 00:11:05.490 --> 00:11:09.889 discussion for any length of time about what the Bible really says, as we 147 00:11:11.009 --> 00:11:16.049 turn to scripture and use it as validation for what we're doing, they invariably 148 00:11:16.809 --> 00:11:22.600 tend to calm down and agree. So I think sometimes that criticism is coming. 149 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:28.159 They have seen what happens at an abortion center and even with with what 150 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:33.789 I believe our good ambassadors of the Lord if on the pro life side. 151 00:11:33.230 --> 00:11:39.590 But they they have not really examined what God has to say about speaking for 152 00:11:39.750 --> 00:11:45.470 the unborn or holding back those who are on a path of destruction. So 153 00:11:45.950 --> 00:11:48.299 yeah, I mean a lot of the criticisms that come from fellow believers come 154 00:11:48.419 --> 00:11:54.500 from a place of just really be and disciple by the world and the world's 155 00:11:54.539 --> 00:11:56.620 mentalities. Yeah, and I think that's where we need to listen to those 156 00:11:56.659 --> 00:12:01.529 criticisms and then come back with scripture graciously right and say well, actually, 157 00:12:01.730 --> 00:12:05.649 kind of like the thou shalt not judge, you know you're out here judging 158 00:12:05.690 --> 00:12:07.610 people or whatever. Here it all the time and heard all the time. 159 00:12:07.929 --> 00:12:11.610 Obviously we hear it from people who professed to be Christians that are not. 160 00:12:11.769 --> 00:12:15.330 I mean, they're going in to kill their children, so obviously they're not 161 00:12:15.450 --> 00:12:18.240 Christians. Right, at least they're backslidden in their opinions. Don't really hold 162 00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:20.200 a lot of weight with me, to be honest with you. Yeah, 163 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:24.799 but when there are genuine Christians that come and that say that thing, that 164 00:12:24.120 --> 00:12:28.159 sort of thing, we shouldn't judge and that sort of thing, I'll ask 165 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:33.750 a few questions about what Jesus said about judging and about what we as believers 166 00:12:33.830 --> 00:12:37.070 should we judge certain behavior, and then I kind of like to break down 167 00:12:37.110 --> 00:12:43.029 that kind of I guess I think it's a biblical dichotomy of judging, which 168 00:12:43.029 --> 00:12:46.340 we are called to do, Bible says the righteous man judges all things, 169 00:12:46.659 --> 00:12:50.379 and then being judgmental, which is what we're called not to be. Right, 170 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:52.779 we're not called to be judgmental writing people off and saying that there's no 171 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:56.379 hope for them because they're doing sins that we're not committing or whatever. We're 172 00:12:56.379 --> 00:13:01.450 also not supposed to be hypocritical right, judging people for doing things that we 173 00:13:01.490 --> 00:13:05.129 ourselves are doing. Yeah, but we all call to make judgments, and 174 00:13:05.210 --> 00:13:09.490 so I'll in those times where I'm being criticized for being judgmental or judging and 175 00:13:09.570 --> 00:13:15.039 all this other stuff, I'll take the time to disciple people and really what 176 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:18.080 the Bible says, giving analogies and things like that. Like when you're driving 177 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:22.559 down the road someone slams on breaks, you make a judgment at that moment. 178 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:26.480 Yeah, not just that person is an idiot. You might make that 179 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:28.789 judgment too, but you make a judgment. They're slowing down at a pace 180 00:13:30.269 --> 00:13:33.830 that I can't handle unless I'll slow down as well. Right and judgments and 181 00:13:33.950 --> 00:13:39.870 making judgments is a everyday part of life. We assess behavior and we do 182 00:13:41.190 --> 00:13:45.779 things or we respond in appropriate manner. So when we assess the behavior of 183 00:13:45.860 --> 00:13:50.220 abortion killing children, then we have to in our lives, make adjustments that 184 00:13:50.419 --> 00:13:54.340 coincide with the reality of what's going on, and that's why I'm out here 185 00:13:54.620 --> 00:14:00.049 speaking against the murder of innocent children. Yeah, yeah, so it is. 186 00:14:00.929 --> 00:14:05.690 It's not pleasant. But when criticism is leveled at us, you've exed, 187 00:14:05.850 --> 00:14:11.720 you've told US rightfully, that we can use that as an opportunity to 188 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:16.279 help lead others that claim to be believers to a closer relationship with God, 189 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:24.870 or we can steer people who don't know the Lord into what is truth, 190 00:14:26.309 --> 00:14:33.110 Biblical truth. But but it is definitely not an easy issue. Yeah, 191 00:14:33.110 --> 00:14:37.899 I get it when these new counselors call me and say I just go home 192 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:43.299 feeling battered. I do too sometimes. I mean we are, we're being 193 00:14:43.700 --> 00:14:50.940 battered, sometimes by by certainly by the opposition, and so we wanted to 194 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:56.889 talk in this podcast about, well, are there strategies, things that we 195 00:14:58.009 --> 00:15:05.210 can do to not necessarily shield ourselves from criticism, because that's not going to 196 00:15:05.250 --> 00:15:11.559 happen right, but can we respond in ways that glorify God and help us 197 00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:18.200 to come unscathed off the sidewalk and not take it personally, not take it 198 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:24.389 home and not make it become something that keeps us from returning? And one 199 00:15:24.429 --> 00:15:28.830 of the first things I know that I will tell new counselors when they say 200 00:15:28.830 --> 00:15:33.350 I just I just don't want to be go back, and I remind them, 201 00:15:33.389 --> 00:15:37.019 well, where, where is that spirit of criticism coming from? Is 202 00:15:37.220 --> 00:15:41.019 is that coming from God or is that coming from Satan? And if it's 203 00:15:41.139 --> 00:15:46.179 to discourage you from coming back and you don't come back, who did you 204 00:15:46.340 --> 00:15:50.570 just hand the victory to? Right, and I think that's important for all 205 00:15:50.610 --> 00:15:54.730 of us. That helps me to remember no matter what they throw at me, 206 00:15:56.370 --> 00:16:02.690 if I if they successfully discourage me to the point where I don't return, 207 00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:07.320 then I've just given Satan the victory, and I hate Satan yes, 208 00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:12.360 so much that I will do anything in my power to prevent giving him any 209 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:15.639 kind of a victory. Yeah, I mean, I think one of the 210 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:23.110 most central principles here with criticism, accusations and things like that that we deal 211 00:16:23.149 --> 00:16:29.789 with is to not take it personal. Right, because when we begin to 212 00:16:29.830 --> 00:16:36.220 take it personal and we think this criticism is just about us personally, we 213 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:41.740 internalize that and the devil can really have a heyday with our mind. And 214 00:16:41.779 --> 00:16:48.250 I think also understanding, like what what we're actually coming against, like really 215 00:16:48.730 --> 00:16:55.330 grappling with the reality that abortion is child killing. I get it's killing innocent 216 00:16:55.370 --> 00:17:00.330 children. That's what they're doing inside of that building and that we're responding in 217 00:17:00.769 --> 00:17:04.079 an appropriate manner and it doesn't matter. It it be like being in front 218 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:10.519 of a daycare where MOMS are bringing in there two year olds and they're being 219 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:14.519 slaughtered and their precious little bodies are being burned in in the cenerator. Yeah, 220 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:18.029 and we know that and it's happening in our city and we're standing there 221 00:17:18.910 --> 00:17:22.710 and we're trying to respond appropriately, we're pleading with those moms not to do 222 00:17:22.910 --> 00:17:26.269 that, and someone comes along says she'd really be yelling at those people. 223 00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:29.430 She did. You would be raising your voice giving you don't know what's going 224 00:17:29.509 --> 00:17:33.700 on in that that woman's life. Yeah, and think about how ridiculous we 225 00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:37.819 would we would think that that kind of criticism is right, that's ridiculous. 226 00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:41.660 They're killing two year olds inside of that place. Well, if we really 227 00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:45.569 believe that abortion is murder, if we really believe that what they're doing inside 228 00:17:45.569 --> 00:17:48.569 of that building is actually killing human beings, and we really leave that a 229 00:17:48.650 --> 00:17:52.930 two year old in a two month old in the womb have the same value 230 00:17:52.009 --> 00:17:56.930 in the sight of God, then in the same way we can okay, 231 00:17:56.970 --> 00:17:59.400 people are going to have their criticism, they're going to have their opinions, 232 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:03.279 but they're killing children in there. Yes, doing what I can. Yeah, 233 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:07.960 you're raising you're raising a really good point that at the basis of handling 234 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:14.109 any criticism, particularly in this kind of a ministry, is to make sure 235 00:18:14.230 --> 00:18:18.990 you are solid in your motivation and your purpose and your goal. Yeah, 236 00:18:18.069 --> 00:18:22.990 and why you're there and who has called you to be there, and that 237 00:18:22.029 --> 00:18:29.299 alone is a wonderful shield against against taking that personally. Yeah, I remembering 238 00:18:29.339 --> 00:18:34.220 the importance of what you are doing. Yeah, and I think keeping the 239 00:18:34.380 --> 00:18:38.059 main thing, the main thing, also keeps US focus. And what is 240 00:18:38.140 --> 00:18:41.609 the main thing you talked about? You you hate the devil. You should 241 00:18:41.650 --> 00:18:45.410 hate the devil. Yeah, right. We hate abortion, we hate plant 242 00:18:45.450 --> 00:18:48.289 parenthood. We don't hate the people. Right. We're supposed to love people. 243 00:18:48.289 --> 00:18:51.970 We supposed to love even our enemies. So we love the people, 244 00:18:51.970 --> 00:18:55.410 want them to come to the Lord. We hate these things that are wicked, 245 00:18:55.450 --> 00:18:57.599 that are evil, but that can't be our primary motivation, right. 246 00:18:59.079 --> 00:19:00.839 Our primary motivation has to be a love for God, and we keep that 247 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:04.319 central, like we're out there because we love God. We're out there because 248 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:10.029 we love God. He loves US and he loves these children and we minister 249 00:19:10.150 --> 00:19:14.309 out of that and it doesn't matter what comes along that tries to shake us 250 00:19:14.309 --> 00:19:17.910 out of that. If we're focused and centered in a love for God and 251 00:19:18.549 --> 00:19:22.309 out of that love a love for our neighbor, all these other criticisms can 252 00:19:22.390 --> 00:19:25.420 really fall to the ground because, after all, I appreciate your criticism, 253 00:19:25.779 --> 00:19:29.619 but I'm here because I love God. Yeah, and I want to serve 254 00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:33.539 him out of a love for him. I'm out here right right. Really 255 00:19:33.579 --> 00:19:41.250 good point. Today one of the pro choice people looked at me and said 256 00:19:41.849 --> 00:19:45.369 that outfit just doesn't work for you, because it's like I was like the 257 00:19:45.490 --> 00:19:51.450 first thing out of her mouth. And and I and I. It made 258 00:19:51.490 --> 00:20:00.000 me think of sometimes how petty the the criticisms are in comparison to why we're 259 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:06.079 there and who we're serving out there, and to have someone point out what 260 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:14.269 I'm wearing as a something to worry at all about. So when one of 261 00:20:14.309 --> 00:20:18.430 the first points that when I was writing this article, that I thought were 262 00:20:18.670 --> 00:20:21.579 you've raised some really great points that I did not put in this article. 263 00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:22.980 So everybody, you're just going to have to remember them because they're not in 264 00:20:23.099 --> 00:20:26.539 the article. But one of the first things is that there are some things 265 00:20:26.579 --> 00:20:30.819 that are under our control and there's a lot of things that are not. 266 00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:37.049 Yeah, and how others are gonna Criticize, respond what they do and say, 267 00:20:37.730 --> 00:20:42.210 not under our control at all. Yeah. So our response to criticism 268 00:20:42.369 --> 00:20:48.130 is but but in terms of where that criticism is coming from, we can't 269 00:20:48.170 --> 00:20:52.640 control it. Just accept it. Yeah, one phrase that I live by, 270 00:20:52.079 --> 00:20:56.240 and it has to do with really criticism and every area of my walk 271 00:20:56.279 --> 00:21:00.759 with the Lord is simply you can't please everybody. Hi, may as well 272 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:04.750 try to please the Lord. Right. Yes, I have been criticized as 273 00:21:04.829 --> 00:21:10.470 far as ministry on the sidewalk from every angle over the years I've had people 274 00:21:10.509 --> 00:21:14.950 that come along and say you're too soft, like you talk too much about 275 00:21:14.950 --> 00:21:18.980 the love of God, you talk too much, your tone is too soft. 276 00:21:18.980 --> 00:21:22.180 They're killing children. You should have a harsher tone, you should yell 277 00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:26.420 louder, whatever. I've had that criticism. I also have had the criticism 278 00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:33.049 of you're too harsh, right and and you speak, you call abortion murder. 279 00:21:33.289 --> 00:21:37.049 You really really shouldn't come across as being judgmental in all this. And 280 00:21:37.369 --> 00:21:41.250 these are this is from Christians, these are from people who think that they're 281 00:21:41.289 --> 00:21:45.690 trying to direct me in the way that I should go. And I appreciate 282 00:21:45.730 --> 00:21:49.599 it and listen. I never right off people's criticisms initially, like I want 283 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:52.200 to hear what they have to say, I want to take it in, 284 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:56.440 I want to process it based on what I see in the scripture. But 285 00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:59.880 if it doesn't line up with the word of God, I'm going to throw 286 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.750 it out and if it doesn't line up with what God's called me to I'm 287 00:22:03.789 --> 00:22:06.190 going to throw it out. Yeah, I'm going to take it. I'm 288 00:22:06.190 --> 00:22:10.349 going to respond graciously. Again, from both angles. I've had, you 289 00:22:10.430 --> 00:22:11.829 know, people hit me from both angles. You're too harsh, you're too 290 00:22:11.910 --> 00:22:17.380 soft, and you know I appreciate it. I say that I appreciate your 291 00:22:17.420 --> 00:22:19.819 criticism. I'll think on it, I'll pray on it, but at the 292 00:22:19.859 --> 00:22:22.819 end of the day I've got to do what God has called me to do. 293 00:22:22.579 --> 00:22:27.819 And I will point to as I'm talking to someone about their criticisms of 294 00:22:27.940 --> 00:22:33.569 the ministry or whatever, I'll point to the fruit of the ministry and I'll 295 00:22:33.569 --> 00:22:36.210 say, you know, we've seen somebody baby saved. Now. Fruit is 296 00:22:36.289 --> 00:22:40.329 not always evidence of the fact that you're doing, you know, the right 297 00:22:40.450 --> 00:22:42.450 thing or whatever. Sometimes God will just gracious to give you fruit even though 298 00:22:42.569 --> 00:22:45.720 you're maybe not doing it the right way, and God's gracious and all that, 299 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:51.359 but it does point to a lot of times the fruit that we've borne 300 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:56.799 points to that we're obeying God. You're reaping the benefits of applying God's word. 301 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:00.430 So I won't point to the fruit of the ministry first. First I'll 302 00:23:00.470 --> 00:23:04.269 point to what the Bible says, like here's I'm doing this because here's what 303 00:23:04.390 --> 00:23:07.470 the scripture says. Yeah, but I think the fruit is just kind of 304 00:23:07.470 --> 00:23:11.829 like icing on the cake. So, yeah, yeah, and not to 305 00:23:11.950 --> 00:23:15.900 say you have to respond to all the criticism. It would not have been 306 00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:21.539 super fruitful for me to respond to her criticism that I was not wearing an 307 00:23:21.619 --> 00:23:27.490 outfit that she felt was flattering. So, but sometimes the criticism does have 308 00:23:29.170 --> 00:23:33.170 truth in it that can be used. And so so, you know, 309 00:23:33.250 --> 00:23:37.089 it's good to have an open mind that maybe someone's maybe that criticism can be 310 00:23:37.210 --> 00:23:41.039 used to help you. Yeah, but another thing, another point is I 311 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:48.160 was thinking through this was and encourage meant to me and facing criticism. There's 312 00:23:48.200 --> 00:23:55.160 not a single great Bible hero that didn't face significant criticism. Yeah, and 313 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:57.950 struggle. Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, I thought we've listed 314 00:23:59.109 --> 00:24:03.630 some of them, but Jesus comes right to mind. Absolutely. I mean 315 00:24:03.710 --> 00:24:07.309 this is the eternal son of God who is perfect in every way and he 316 00:24:07.430 --> 00:24:11.420 faced probably more criticism than anybody that we see in the scripture. Ultimately, 317 00:24:12.259 --> 00:24:17.900 he was he was criticized unto death, right. Yeah, yeah, and 318 00:24:18.059 --> 00:24:22.140 we see the mean the life of David, David being criticized from all kinds 319 00:24:22.180 --> 00:24:26.329 of angles and being. He's criticized by even his own wife. Yeah, 320 00:24:26.329 --> 00:24:32.130 at one point. Yeah, Hum, I mean Moses. Yeah, think 321 00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:36.529 about Moses, criticized by his own brother and sister. His people grumbled and 322 00:24:37.089 --> 00:24:41.000 here he lives out of the leading out of the House of Bondage, out 323 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:42.880 of slavery, led them out of slavery. And Yeah, seem like all 324 00:24:42.920 --> 00:24:48.319 they could do is criticize him. Yeah, and God. They criticized God. 325 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:52.359 How Dare God bring his out into this wilderness not give us anything to 326 00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:55.029 eat? We'd be better off back in Egypt. You know so well. 327 00:24:55.190 --> 00:24:57.910 You know what this that raises a good point that I that I think a 328 00:24:57.950 --> 00:25:02.789 lot of times the criticism, particularly if it's coming from the opposition, but 329 00:25:02.910 --> 00:25:07.299 even sometimes from fellow believers, is a tactic as old as humanity itself. 330 00:25:07.339 --> 00:25:15.980 When they first faced Satan in the garden of Eden, what was his mode 331 00:25:15.579 --> 00:25:21.890 of of trying to get people to do what he wanted them to do? 332 00:25:22.450 --> 00:25:25.609 Yeah, I mean, in essence it was it was criticism of the word 333 00:25:25.650 --> 00:25:29.410 of God. They did God really say? Question Really, can you really 334 00:25:29.450 --> 00:25:32.730 trust God's word? It's almost like you know God. And again it's a 335 00:25:32.769 --> 00:25:34.720 critique against God. God's holding something back. He knows that in the day 336 00:25:34.759 --> 00:25:37.960 of you eat of this tree, when you eat of this tree, you'll 337 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:42.759 be like him. Yeah, and it's criticize and critiquing God. In God's 338 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:47.039 getting you to doubt God. And that, I think. As I was 339 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:49.750 thinking about that, I was thinking so much of the criticism that we get 340 00:25:49.789 --> 00:25:56.109 out there on the sidewalk is really aimed at putting seeds of doubt. Seeds 341 00:25:56.190 --> 00:26:00.910 of doubt that we're actually doing what God would have us do. Yeah, 342 00:26:02.309 --> 00:26:07.700 seeds of doubt that what God has asked us to do is actually even worthwhile. 343 00:26:08.180 --> 00:26:11.779 Yeah, and and then seats of doubt in the methods that were using 344 00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:18.569 to to accomplish all that. But it really does boil down to did God 345 00:26:18.769 --> 00:26:22.450 really tell you to be out there right, and it God really tell you 346 00:26:22.569 --> 00:26:25.849 to harass women and scream at women this way? And it's the same thing, 347 00:26:25.970 --> 00:26:29.490 it's the same thing that happened in the garden of Edo. And so 348 00:26:29.569 --> 00:26:34.839 I think knowing that helps to disarm in your own heart the effects of that 349 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:40.559 criticism against you. This is an old tactic of Satan. Yeah, and 350 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:45.240 Satan doesn't attack those that doesn't need to attack. So he's only going to 351 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:53.470 be criticizing and trying to discourage and intimidate those who are faithful and doing the 352 00:26:53.509 --> 00:26:57.950 work of God and are a threat to Satan. So again, I think 353 00:26:57.990 --> 00:27:03.019 keeping that in your heart helps help send how to handle that criticism. Yeah, 354 00:27:03.059 --> 00:27:08.059 you have here all the heroes of the Bible face criticism and then all 355 00:27:08.180 --> 00:27:12.940 those heroes turn to God and recognize their struggle is not against flesh and blood, 356 00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:15.809 right, yeah, recognizing we're in a spiritual battle. Yeah, and 357 00:27:15.970 --> 00:27:22.329 again the devil uses criticism to discourage, to bring draw the courage out of 358 00:27:22.410 --> 00:27:26.210 us, that we're deflated and recognizing that, knowing that, knowing that you're 359 00:27:26.250 --> 00:27:30.599 in a spiritual battle, knowing the fact that what we're dealing with at the 360 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:33.960 abortion centers is the number one moral evil of our day, right, that 361 00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:38.319 child killing is happening in our cities. Yeah, and the Devil's going to 362 00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:41.839 use every angle he can. Now, I don't mean to say that if 363 00:27:41.880 --> 00:27:47.190 you're getting criticized by believers in the Lord that they have a demon or something 364 00:27:47.349 --> 00:27:49.670 like that. I don't mean to say that, but the devil does use 365 00:27:49.670 --> 00:27:55.150 all kinds of people he does. And even unwittingly, sometimes we can be 366 00:27:55.309 --> 00:27:59.019 used by the enemy to discourage and to bring disunity and things like that. 367 00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:06.740 So we have to be careful ourselves not to be unnecessarily critical, right, 368 00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:11.539 but just recognizing the plan of the enemy is helpful and seeing, okay, 369 00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:15.609 that's what this is. This is this criticism. You know, I think 370 00:28:15.849 --> 00:28:18.250 when a Chris criticism comes our way, I think I already said this, 371 00:28:18.410 --> 00:28:21.890 but I'll say it may be again in a different way, and criticism comes 372 00:28:21.930 --> 00:28:26.250 our way, we should immediately like process it, right. I don't think 373 00:28:26.250 --> 00:28:29.920 we should just have a wall up and take it personal and say, why 374 00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:30.960 are they even critiqueing me? I'm not going to listen to what you have 375 00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:33.920 to say. I think we do need to listen to that criticism, but 376 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:37.440 then we need to process it through the word of God and then when we 377 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:41.589 have assurance through the word of God that what we're doing is in line with 378 00:28:41.750 --> 00:28:45.990 his word, that it's in line with what he said, then we can 379 00:28:45.029 --> 00:28:48.509 take that criticism and we can we can cast it to the side and say, 380 00:28:48.549 --> 00:28:52.190 I thank you for your criticism, but as for me, in my 381 00:28:52.309 --> 00:28:56.579 house, will serve the Lord, will obey God. And since you're probably 382 00:28:56.980 --> 00:29:02.380 going to need to process that pretty quickly in a urgent situation like in front 383 00:29:02.380 --> 00:29:07.220 of an abortion center, part of the preparation of being on the sidewalk is 384 00:29:07.380 --> 00:29:10.690 know the word of God. You know so that you can bump it up 385 00:29:11.089 --> 00:29:15.809 pretty quickly against well, what does God say? Yeah, and and then 386 00:29:15.890 --> 00:29:22.450 you can either pretty quickly reject or accept and maybe even take in that criticism 387 00:29:22.529 --> 00:29:29.359 to grow. Yeah, but it is I think criticism is more difficult when 388 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:32.240 you're in a situation where a life is on the line. Yeah, and 389 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:38.309 and so part of I think, as I was processing through what to do 390 00:29:38.430 --> 00:29:44.230 with criticism again, looking at the how the heroes of the Bible dealt with 391 00:29:44.309 --> 00:29:47.750 it. Well, they they didn't give up, they didn't back down, 392 00:29:48.390 --> 00:29:55.500 they still pursued God's purpose as they and call in what they were called to 393 00:29:55.660 --> 00:30:02.259 do. And and so maybe you won't be able to thoroughly process the criticism 394 00:30:02.299 --> 00:30:04.339 in terms of is this valid? Is it not by valid? But you 395 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:10.049 will. You should know what is God called me to do and no matter 396 00:30:10.210 --> 00:30:15.089 what's being flung at me, what arrows are being shot, am I still 397 00:30:15.130 --> 00:30:22.279 able to continue faithfully to do what I'm out here to do, and certainly 398 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:27.160 the model for us throughout the Bible is don't back down. I'm thinking of 399 00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:32.000 because we're studying has a KIA, or just finished a study of Hese a 400 00:30:32.039 --> 00:30:38.069 Kiah in in church, and he was just the brunt of so much criticism. 401 00:30:38.109 --> 00:30:42.509 Yeah, and yet he kept building the wall. Yeah, he didn't 402 00:30:42.589 --> 00:30:48.950 back down until the wall was finished. mean the Amia, that is who 403 00:30:48.029 --> 00:30:52.740 I meant. Okay, just criticize you. Thank you. Yes, but 404 00:30:53.019 --> 00:30:59.420 notice I was able to quickly not take it personally, admit I was wrong 405 00:30:59.619 --> 00:31:02.539 and move into the correct see, I grew. I grew from that little 406 00:31:02.539 --> 00:31:06.809 bit of criticism. So that was a good process criticism. But you're exactly 407 00:31:06.890 --> 00:31:10.650 right. Yeah, yeah, so they so be like those heroes. And 408 00:31:10.809 --> 00:31:15.569 and one of the verses that that I actually use a lot. I think 409 00:31:15.609 --> 00:31:19.000 of this a lot. Submit that, therefore to God. Resist the devil 410 00:31:19.480 --> 00:31:23.720 and he will flee from you. Yeah, and that that's James for seven. 411 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:30.000 Don't don't back down from what you know God has called you to do. 412 00:31:30.279 --> 00:31:36.069 Exist Satan, and and that's how you fight him. Yeah, yeah, 413 00:31:36.670 --> 00:31:38.390 I think one of the ways, and you don't have this in the 414 00:31:38.509 --> 00:31:42.190 article, but I know that personally, one of the ways that really the 415 00:31:42.309 --> 00:31:48.259 devil can deflate you and get you discourage through criticism is if your motivation is 416 00:31:48.339 --> 00:31:52.339 off. Right now, so I'll talked a little bit about our motivation has 417 00:31:52.380 --> 00:31:56.140 to be a love for God, and that's absolutely the case. That has 418 00:31:56.180 --> 00:32:00.660 to be our central motivation for everything we do in ministry, in our walk 419 00:32:00.819 --> 00:32:02.890 with God, is it flows out of a love for him. Right, 420 00:32:04.250 --> 00:32:07.650 and if you're motivated, I'll say one of the ways you can certainly get 421 00:32:08.329 --> 00:32:13.490 really discouraged is if your motivation is a political one. I know the people 422 00:32:13.529 --> 00:32:15.799 that are involved in pro life ministry, Pro Life Work, even on the 423 00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:21.640 sidewalk. Their primary motivation is really a political motivation. You're going to get 424 00:32:21.880 --> 00:32:24.440 deflated real quick. Criticism is going to get at you. You know, 425 00:32:24.519 --> 00:32:30.190 politics is the art of compromise. Politics and politicians want to please the world 426 00:32:30.349 --> 00:32:32.309 and want to look good in the eyes of the world. Listen, if 427 00:32:32.349 --> 00:32:36.710 you're going to serve God, if you're going to obey God, you're going 428 00:32:36.829 --> 00:32:38.549 to have to be settled in your mind that they're going to be times when 429 00:32:38.589 --> 00:32:43.869 people don't understand you. Yeah, and that's okay. Yeah, listen, 430 00:32:44.150 --> 00:32:49.019 Jesus was the most misunderstood person that ever lived on the face of the planet, 431 00:32:49.180 --> 00:32:52.539 but he was not deterred from his missions, not even single laser beam. 432 00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:55.819 Focus on his purpose. Yeah, it kind of goes along the lines 433 00:32:55.900 --> 00:33:00.569 with kind of your first point here. You can't control what other people think 434 00:33:00.730 --> 00:33:04.130 and right, can't control what other people do and all of that stuff. 435 00:33:04.490 --> 00:33:07.690 Yeah, you've got to be resolved in you got to have that resolve in 436 00:33:07.769 --> 00:33:12.569 your mind that you're out there to serve God, that you're not there to 437 00:33:12.650 --> 00:33:22.559 please people and you know you're you're focused on God and your purpose out there 438 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:29.710 be in obedience to God. Your mission, if you're in abortion ministry on 439 00:33:29.829 --> 00:33:34.349 the sidewalk, you are mission is to of course, first serve and obey 440 00:33:34.430 --> 00:33:38.549 God, but to save unborn lives, those unborn lives at that last moment 441 00:33:38.869 --> 00:33:44.740 that they're alive. And yes, there are billions of other ministries you could 442 00:33:44.740 --> 00:33:47.259 be involved in then, many of them that might greet, you know, 443 00:33:47.819 --> 00:33:52.500 stop a mother at an earlier point, but that's not the mission you're on. 444 00:33:53.059 --> 00:33:58.690 And and so I get all the time, all the time I get 445 00:33:58.970 --> 00:34:02.289 offers to go do all these political things. All are good, you know, 446 00:34:02.730 --> 00:34:07.010 pro life things, rallies, whatever. Someone showed up today with with 447 00:34:07.170 --> 00:34:13.239 all kinds of information to pass out, and that's not my purpose. At 448 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:17.440 my purpose is there's babies today, right now, that are going to die 449 00:34:17.800 --> 00:34:22.920 and I've been called by God right now to speak, not to hand out 450 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:28.269 political tracks, not to show up at a rally. I'm here now and 451 00:34:28.469 --> 00:34:32.510 that's my calling. Yeah. So, so I think that helps with criticism 452 00:34:32.630 --> 00:34:37.630 too, because a lot of the criticism I get is I should be doing 453 00:34:37.829 --> 00:34:44.460 something else or I should be doing all those other things in addition to what 454 00:34:44.619 --> 00:34:47.219 I'm doing, and if I pay attention to those voices I will burn out 455 00:34:47.219 --> 00:34:51.539 in a day like I could not. I could not do what I did, 456 00:34:51.579 --> 00:34:54.369 and it really takes that laser focus. What does God call me to 457 00:34:54.409 --> 00:34:58.250 do? Right, let me focus on that. Yeah, all the other 458 00:34:58.369 --> 00:35:00.769 things that vy for my attention or that criticize, that try to get me 459 00:35:00.849 --> 00:35:05.889 off track. One of the things that we talked about in from the Amiyah, 460 00:35:06.130 --> 00:35:08.400 actually the book in the Amiyah, within the Ministry of Love Life, 461 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:14.360 God really gave Justin this this model of rebuilding the wall from the AMIAH, 462 00:35:14.440 --> 00:35:16.360 right first couple of chapters. Yeah, and one of the things that Justin 463 00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:21.000 has been really saying recently is there's going to be things that come along that 464 00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:23.429 try to get you off the wall right here there building the wall. They're 465 00:35:23.429 --> 00:35:28.949 going to be things that try to discourage you, distract you whatever, to 466 00:35:29.030 --> 00:35:31.070 get you from being where God has called you to be, building the wall. 467 00:35:31.869 --> 00:35:37.860 You have to really wage a warfare against those things and criticism is one 468 00:35:37.860 --> 00:35:39.659 of those things that try to tries to get you down from the wall, 469 00:35:40.300 --> 00:35:45.099 get you worried about other people's opinions and really just derail you right I was 470 00:35:45.139 --> 00:35:50.530 called you to right. So there are practical things, as as one of 471 00:35:50.570 --> 00:35:55.489 the the people that contacted me a couple weeks ago. She said what specific 472 00:35:55.570 --> 00:36:00.449 what do you do? What do you do to fight this? And we've 473 00:36:00.530 --> 00:36:04.289 talked through kind of, I think, in a almost more philosophical way, 474 00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:08.119 on on some things that help to show us up against criticism. But there 475 00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:15.280 are some things that practical things that I that I do anyway to fight discouragement, 476 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:17.949 and I know some of these we've said over and over and over again, 477 00:36:19.190 --> 00:36:22.309 but one of the first things that I think is critical is that you 478 00:36:22.550 --> 00:36:29.949 need to have some way where you are going to be able to reconnect with 479 00:36:30.230 --> 00:36:36.340 God kind of detox from. Yeah, what you have just phased. For 480 00:36:36.460 --> 00:36:39.940 me, that's kayaking or bicycling or going on a long walk and in nature 481 00:36:40.340 --> 00:36:45.739 and alone. Yeah, being alone in a beautiful, usually natural place with 482 00:36:45.900 --> 00:36:52.010 God. And I have found that that if I do that as many afternoons 483 00:36:52.050 --> 00:36:57.530 as I can after I leave the abortion center, that's where I process what 484 00:36:57.650 --> 00:37:05.039 has happened and kind of dust the all the terrible things that happened off off 485 00:37:05.079 --> 00:37:08.679 of my mind and me, you, yeah, and am able to refocus 486 00:37:08.840 --> 00:37:14.880 for the next day, and I think that is very important that everyone have 487 00:37:15.159 --> 00:37:19.909 something like that. Yeah, because, like I said, the criticisms that 488 00:37:19.989 --> 00:37:23.469 come, and they will come, are not what like other people's opinions are 489 00:37:23.550 --> 00:37:29.150 not what defines me. Right, what defines me is what God says. 490 00:37:29.550 --> 00:37:31.780 Yeah, what defines me is what he's called me to, not what other 491 00:37:31.820 --> 00:37:36.219 people feel like I'm called to. Yeah, what he's actually called me to. 492 00:37:36.380 --> 00:37:38.340 That's what defines me. Yeah, and so there are times where I 493 00:37:38.380 --> 00:37:42.380 need to get kind of, for lack of a better term, recentered, 494 00:37:42.860 --> 00:37:46.610 yeah, by spending some time with the Lord and allowing that fellowship with him 495 00:37:47.489 --> 00:37:53.130 to just remind me of my relationship with him and how my relationship with him 496 00:37:53.650 --> 00:37:57.929 defines me. I'm defined by the fact that I am a child of God, 497 00:37:58.010 --> 00:38:00.000 that I belong to the Living God. Yeah, I'm defined by the 498 00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:05.239 fact that he's called me to a particular ministry. I'm defined by those things, 499 00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:07.840 not by other people's opinions and criticisms. Right, it does take sometimes 500 00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:12.440 just getting along with God to for him to remind you of that. It 501 00:38:12.599 --> 00:38:15.949 does. And kind of similar to this, but different is that all of 502 00:38:16.150 --> 00:38:20.389 us that are on a team together, all of us that are in that 503 00:38:20.510 --> 00:38:27.380 ministry together, can recognize how sometimes that criticism does start to seep into our 504 00:38:27.500 --> 00:38:35.820 identity. Yeah, and to encourage each other by countering that negative and false 505 00:38:35.980 --> 00:38:38.300 narrative of who we are. And I love how we have one of our 506 00:38:38.380 --> 00:38:44.369 coworkers, Sarah, whenever she sees me, particularly back when. Right now 507 00:38:44.449 --> 00:38:47.090 the criticism and the pro abortion crowd is not quite as rough, but there 508 00:38:47.210 --> 00:38:53.250 was a time when I was being mercilessly name called and just and one of 509 00:38:53.289 --> 00:38:57.400 the things they would call me a key vicky over and over again and be 510 00:38:58.079 --> 00:39:01.039 just slamming every part of me, and whenever I would walk in the office, 511 00:39:01.079 --> 00:39:06.880 Sarah would say it's vicky wonderful, radiant, kind, compassionate, and 512 00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:10.070 she would just list I can't remember exactly what she would say, but she 513 00:39:10.150 --> 00:39:17.389 would counter all of those criticisms with a positive image, and I it really 514 00:39:17.949 --> 00:39:22.829 helped. Yeah, it really knows. That's really the opposite of discouragement. 515 00:39:22.989 --> 00:39:25.699 Your discouragement is to get the courage out of you. Yeah, encouragement is 516 00:39:25.780 --> 00:39:30.539 to put courage in you. Right, and we do that edify one another. 517 00:39:30.579 --> 00:39:32.900 Yeah, typically the best way to edify somebody is to speak well of 518 00:39:32.980 --> 00:39:37.340 them. That's right, to talk them up, to encourage them, but 519 00:39:37.500 --> 00:39:38.929 courage in them. You're a child of God, you belong to the Lord. 520 00:39:38.929 --> 00:39:43.250 That's where we need to be, as I said earlier, intentional about 521 00:39:43.530 --> 00:39:46.929 encouraging each other. Encouraging each other, yeah, locally with our local volunteers, 522 00:39:47.369 --> 00:39:52.289 but also even nationally, like if somebody puts out a post on facebook 523 00:39:52.289 --> 00:39:57.400 or something where they're out there on the sidewalk and God has done something amazing, 524 00:39:58.039 --> 00:40:00.159 then glory, and that the Bible says we should rejoice with those who 525 00:40:00.199 --> 00:40:05.039 rejoice. Rejoice with them, even if they're maybe not a part of love 526 00:40:05.199 --> 00:40:08.150 life. For whatever minister, you're part of a still will encourage people. 527 00:40:08.269 --> 00:40:13.630 Still give them the the heart thing or the thumbs up or praise God. 528 00:40:13.670 --> 00:40:16.070 All right, then in the comments whatever, just because I know how discouraging 529 00:40:16.469 --> 00:40:22.300 this ministry can be. We need other people encouraging us as we're going throughout 530 00:40:22.340 --> 00:40:25.059 what God has called us to do. Yeah, and one of the self 531 00:40:25.300 --> 00:40:31.019 help things for depression that I've read is not that I am depressed or need 532 00:40:32.460 --> 00:40:36.690 I give you the wrong idea, but I do read a lot about how 533 00:40:37.170 --> 00:40:42.329 to help others and one of the best ways to help yourself out of discouragement 534 00:40:42.409 --> 00:40:46.289 depression is to go encourage others. So if you're the brunt of a lot 535 00:40:46.329 --> 00:40:52.000 of criticism, sometimes the way to deal with it, and I know I 536 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:57.280 do this, is to go to your teammates and remind them how wonderful they 537 00:40:57.320 --> 00:41:00.440 are and how wonderful they are in the Lord and how faithful and obedient they 538 00:41:00.440 --> 00:41:07.150 are in the Lord, and that helps lift not only them but it also 539 00:41:07.309 --> 00:41:13.190 helps to lift you. So well, some of the other things are that 540 00:41:13.550 --> 00:41:15.789 I think we've said thousands of times. Pray, be in the word, 541 00:41:15.869 --> 00:41:20.820 be in church. Those things, of course, are given. Those will 542 00:41:21.019 --> 00:41:27.579 always help you to fight whatever battles that you have out there on the sidewalk. 543 00:41:30.179 --> 00:41:34.769 But another specific thing that I that I know that I do and and 544 00:41:35.050 --> 00:41:39.210 that I did share with that counsel that was particularly the struggling was I go 545 00:41:39.730 --> 00:41:46.050 to the sidewalk expecting to see God. Yeah, expecting to see his miracles 546 00:41:46.840 --> 00:41:52.840 and, even when it's not, something like a saved baby, trying to 547 00:41:52.039 --> 00:41:59.639 find out and to think about and to seek and search for. Where did 548 00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:04.510 God show himself today? Yeah, keeping that positive focus. Yeah, I 549 00:42:04.670 --> 00:42:08.150 think in the face of so much negativity. Yeah, I don't one of 550 00:42:08.190 --> 00:42:14.230 the things that you have here is prepare for the battle. Yeah, understanding, 551 00:42:14.309 --> 00:42:16.139 like we talked about earlier, this is a spiritual battle and there's going 552 00:42:16.139 --> 00:42:20.420 to be discouragement that comes from the enemy. Putting on the armor of God. 553 00:42:20.940 --> 00:42:23.179 We've talked about that. I did a podcast about that. But on 554 00:42:23.219 --> 00:42:28.019 that armor of God because the criticism, again, the main source of criticism, 555 00:42:28.059 --> 00:42:30.929 is the pro abortion people and as they fling those fiery darts, and 556 00:42:30.969 --> 00:42:35.650 the Bible says that shield of faith will quench those fiery darts, even as 557 00:42:35.690 --> 00:42:37.730 other believers people, they misunderstand what you're doing and why you're doing. What 558 00:42:37.769 --> 00:42:43.329 you're doing is they fling those fiery darts knowingly or unknowingly, that shield of 559 00:42:43.369 --> 00:42:45.480 faith, believing what God says. You're defined by him, you're defined by 560 00:42:45.559 --> 00:42:51.079 his word, extinguishes those things right away, right. So be intentional about 561 00:42:51.079 --> 00:42:53.840 putting on the armor of God. Yeah, yeah, and I do now. 562 00:42:54.079 --> 00:42:57.599 I do. I mean I always did, but I did it kind 563 00:42:57.639 --> 00:43:00.349 of just thinking through effician six, but now I do what what you do? 564 00:43:00.710 --> 00:43:06.710 I acted out on my putting on the helmet, putting on the Buckler 565 00:43:06.750 --> 00:43:09.269 of truth, putting on the you know, the breastplate of righteousness. Yeah, 566 00:43:09.309 --> 00:43:12.710 and I'd say it out loud and put it on the way that you 567 00:43:12.789 --> 00:43:16.179 kind of describe how you act it out, because I do find it reminds 568 00:43:16.260 --> 00:43:21.860 me as I go through those actions, it reminds me I'm protected. Yeah, 569 00:43:21.980 --> 00:43:24.260 I don't have to worry about what they're going to throw at me, 570 00:43:24.380 --> 00:43:30.650 because greater is he who is in me then he who is in the world. 571 00:43:30.849 --> 00:43:36.090 Yeah, yeah, Amen. Well, I mean, I think wrap 572 00:43:36.210 --> 00:43:38.170 this thing up, there's an article that will have out on the sidewalks for 573 00:43:38.289 --> 00:43:42.239 life website that you guys can check out. That's kind of the framework that 574 00:43:42.320 --> 00:43:45.239 we've gone by, like we often do. I do want to encourage you 575 00:43:45.280 --> 00:43:51.840 guys we're coming up on our hundredth podcast. Believe it's amazing. That's hard 576 00:43:51.840 --> 00:43:57.030 to learn, to fathom one hundred podcast. So our hundredth episode we want 577 00:43:57.070 --> 00:44:00.269 to try to make special and we're not going to yet reveal what that's going 578 00:44:00.309 --> 00:44:02.989 to be. How we're going to make it special. We kind of got 579 00:44:04.070 --> 00:44:07.469 some ideas and I think we're putting some of those ideas into into practice, 580 00:44:08.190 --> 00:44:10.900 but I do feel like it'll be an encouragement to you guys. So just 581 00:44:12.019 --> 00:44:15.699 be listening for our hundredth episode. Hopefully it will be an encouragement to you 582 00:44:15.940 --> 00:44:20.739 and be a blessing to you guys. Hopefully this podcast has been a blessing 583 00:44:20.780 --> 00:44:22.539 to you. There's certainly a lot that we could touch on and dealing with 584 00:44:22.659 --> 00:44:28.809 criticism and dealing with accusations and dealing with discouragement and all that, and we 585 00:44:28.889 --> 00:44:30.329 could go on endlessly, but we got to wrap this up at some point. 586 00:44:30.409 --> 00:44:32.449 So we are going to wrap it up, but we do encourage you 587 00:44:32.489 --> 00:44:36.170 guys to reach out to us. You can reach out to me at Daniel 588 00:44:36.329 --> 00:44:38.440 Love Life Dot Org. You can rek reach her, Vicky, at Love 589 00:44:38.519 --> 00:44:42.679 Life Dot Org. Give us some suggestions. Let us know what you think. 590 00:44:42.679 --> 00:44:46.559 About this podcast. Give us a review on itunes or apple podcasts. 591 00:44:46.719 --> 00:44:51.920 Yes, it is. Any other way that you receive these these episodes? 592 00:44:52.559 --> 00:44:55.389 Subscribe on Youtube and know a lot of people listen through YouTube. We have 593 00:44:55.550 --> 00:45:00.550 our our basically audio going out into sort of a video format on Youtube and 594 00:45:00.670 --> 00:45:06.630 people partake in that manner. So subscribe. Let folks know, share the 595 00:45:06.710 --> 00:45:09.420 podcast with people so that we have more folks listening, more folks getting encouraged, 596 00:45:10.059 --> 00:45:15.340 and I think with that wrapping this thing up. So until next time, 597 00:45:15.539 --> 00:45:25.250 God bless, God bless. Give me our love for love, give 598 00:45:25.369 --> 00:45:35.090 me our love for gratitude. I know it will cost me my life. 599 00:45:37.760 --> 00:45:42.159 Nothing's too precious in some you