ODJ: in the arena

Eat, Our Daily Journey | October 5, 2011 12:01 am

October 5, 2011 


So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (6:14).  

READ: Ezra 4:1-5 

Theodore Roosevelt got things done. He was the driving force behind the completion of the ambitious Panama Canal project, won the Nobel Peace Prize, and served as Assistant Secretary of the US Navy. Oh, and he also became the 26th president of the United States (jump-starting his country’s conservation movement).

Like anyone who accomplishes great things, Teddy Roosevelt had his critics. He said of them: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood.” He added, “There is no effort without error and shortcoming.”

In 539 BC, Cyrus King of Persia conquered Babylon and allowed the exiled Jewish people to return to their homeland. He also gave them instructions to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. But when that work began, the Jews met with derisive opposition. “Then the local [non-Jewish] residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work,” says the ancient record (Ezra 4:4). The building came to a halt (4:24), and the temple was not completed until 23 years later in 516 BC.

People who are critical are fueled by a variety of motivations—pride, insecurity, envy, fear, hatred. But what do they accomplish?

It can be wise to question a plan and to entertain opposing views. But criticism isn’t a spiritual gift; it’s a character flaw. If you’re prone to criticize, ask the Holy Spirit to soften your heart. If you’re the target of criticism, don’t worry about those critics. Be someone who’s in the arena, not heckling in the crowd.

—Tim Gustafson

NEXT
Are you prone to be critical or encouraging? How do you react when you are criticized? How can God help you deal with these detractions? 
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