The man many have referred to as the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, once said, “Get a friend to tell you your faults, or better still, welcome an enemy who will watch you keenly and sting you savagely. What a blessing such an irritating critic will be to a wise man.” And you know, that really is true isn’t it?

The book of Proverbs tells us, “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” Most of us have experienced some criticism in our lives, and I think we can all learn a lot by watching how our friend Billy Graham handled criticism. He truly welcomed it. He sought to learn from anything that might be true in a critique. And he always treated his critics with grace and respect. He was a bridge builder even when the criticism was unjust or plain foolishness.

Is there someone in your life who has criticized you? Who continually criticizes you? Try extending grace and love in response. Maybe God has placed that person in your life to teach you something. Or maybe He has placed that person in your life because they need to hear the Good News. Try loving your critics, and learning from your critics, and watch how God uses you mightily in their lives.                                                                                                 This is Luis Palau.