“Developing Your Clarion Call”
Dear writer, I hope you’ve had a great week and were able to begin developing some rhythms of rest in your life! This week, we’re going to take a look at another skill that can supercharge your writing. That’s the art of leveraging constructive criticism.
You see, writer, constructive criticism is a necessary part of our growth process. From the moment we are born to the moment we die, we are continually learning and growing. No exceptions! It simply a question of what we are learning and growing in. And as we learn to leverage criticism and feedback, we put ourselves on the fast track for that growth! But here’s the thing…
While constructive criticism is a crucial part of our development, not all constructive criticism is equal, and learning to distinguish between the good and the bad is a critical first step. After all, not all constructive criticism is equal! And learning to distinguish between the good and the bad is a critical first step! But before we dive in, let’s take a look at some others who learned how to leverage constructive criticism to powerfully grow their lives and work…
Constructive Criticism in History
Mother Cabrini is an excellent example of a woman who was able to leverage constructive criticism powerfully in her life and ministry. As an Italian Catholic nun, Mother Cabrini had a vision to rescue orphans in the nation of China. When Cabrini boldly approached the Pope for his blessing, he warned her that it would be too dangerous and directed her to work instead among the Italian orphans of New York City. Though she strongly disagreed, Cabrini obeyed.
In time, Cabrini faced criticism from all sides, from those who were on her side to those who openly opposed her. Some scorned her missionary efforts as a woman, others her social standing as an Italian minority, yet others gave thoughtful redirection that grew her ministry…and on occasion saved her life. The key to her success was in learning to divide between the criticism that was good and what wasn’t.
In a few short years, Cabrini not only established a successful home for orphans, she faced and overcame many political, social, and spiritual opposition designed to stop her. All of this feedback, discernment, and work prepared her to begin building an “empire of hope” years later, establishing orphan homes, schools, and hospitals across the globe, eventually reaching even China.
You see, writer, sometimes in the process of receiving constructive criticism, we get feedback that we don’t want and that, like Cabrini, we disagree with fiercely. However, there a special growth and maturity we achieve when we refuse to reject such input outright and instead challenge ourselves to walk through a process of digesting, discerning, and applying what’s good…and ejecting what’s not. Such practice not only helps us develop and accomplish our work with excellence, it fits us for greater works in the future.
Constructive Criticism in the Bible
Moses is another great example of a man who became more effective through leveraging constructive criticism. When his father-in-law Jethro came to visit him and the newly freed Israelites in the desert. Jethro observed Moses’ backbreaking work of presiding as judge over the entire Hebrew nation. Wisely, Jethro advised Moses to appoint a hierarchy of able leaders under him to handle the smaller disputes, leaving only the most important for himself. Moses, recognizing Jethro’s wisdom, heeded his advice and set up the structure that our own justice system is patterned after today.
You see, writer, Moses could have insisted that he was doing a “new” kind of thing with God’s people, but instead Moses was able to recognize the principles of God’s wisdom that lay in Jethro’s advice. As a result, Israel’s system of judges was established and has continued to impact free people across the globe for centuries.
Constructive Criticism in Life
I learned to leverage constructive criticism in life, when I planned to teach a four-week series on prayer in my church community, based on a book strongly recommended by one of our pastors. However, to my shock, our community teaching leader told me she found the book to be heretical. For the sake of honoring her authority and maintaining order and peace in the class, I followed her suggestion and developed my own prayer teaching based on the Word of God and my own experience. It was well received and was my first step toward the kind of teaching I do today, based not on the words of others but on principles of the Word of God and my walk with Him.
You see, writer, sometimes we will receive constructive criticism that is not valid. And in that moment, it’s important that we discern the heart behind the comment being given and what’s truly troubling a person. When we do that, often we can grow even from poor constructive criticism. Because here’s the thing…
Sometimes, as we leverage constructive criticism, we have to make difficult choices, like I did, that stretch us beyond our comfort zone. But one of the best ways to determine whether constructive criticism is truly good for us and our stories is to discern whether or not it impacts the purpose for which the story was written. For me, though it wasn’t easy, I knew that the heart of the leader was to maintain the purity of the Gospel and to keep division out of the class, and I realized that—though the book itself was doctrinally sound—teaching from it would cause division and contention that would undermine my original purpose…to teach our community members to pray.
Constructive Criticism in Your Life
Leveraging constructive criticism is about recognizing the unique gift you’ve been given and the way God has designed it to impact lives, and then growing that gift as we uncover with Him the best way to deliver that message to those who desperately need it. Let me show you…
- For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
- But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. – 2 Corinthians 4:7
- And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: – Ephesians 3:11-12
- Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. – Proverbs 9:9
- The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. – Isaiah 50:4
You see, writer, leveraging constructive criticism is about allowing yourself to be refined so that God ‘s unique expression can shine through you more and more clearly. And it’s about growing in wisdom and discernment so that we can see what His good and please and perfect will is for us in our work. Because here’s the real deal, writer…
Learning to leverage constructive criticism is really about learning to co-labor with the Lord in our lives and in the world. It’s about learning to work out our faith with fear and trembling as He works in us to will and to act according to His good pleasure. And though that process of refinement is often far from comfortable, I can promise you, it’s worth it! When we are willing to walk through the process of constructive criticism with Him, we allow Him to birth something new and unique in and through us that hasn’t been seen before. Just like Cabrini’s “empire of hope,” Moses’ judicial system, and the fresh perspectives He’s gifted me to share with writers and with the body of Christ.
Where to Start with Constructive Criticism
So are you ready to begin leveraging constructive criticism in your life? Here are a few things to keep in mind…
- Your Unique Story. Spend some time prayerfully exploring and outlining what your burning message is, who needs to hear it, and why. Knowing your story and what makes it unique is key to harnessing constructive criticism to refine your voice and message and to empower it to reach those the Lord seeks to touch. A strong grasp of your unique voice, “why,” and audience can guide you through difficult decisions and help you sift out the gold from the many inputs you will receive along the way.
- Repetition. Sometimes we are tempted to reject valid criticism, like Cabrini was, simply because the concepts they present are so foreign to us. However, I encourage you to keep an open mind and ask the Lord for wisdom and confirmation. If you hear a piece of feedback several times from many people, you will want to pay attention!
- Clarity. As you begin to receive feedback, pay special attention to issues regarding clarity. Anytime you hear, “I don’t understand…,” “This is confusing…” etc., you will definitely want to make changes. As it says in 1 Corinthians 14:8 “…if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?” The clearer your words and message are, the farther they will reach and the greater impact they will have.
- Contextualization. Sometimes you will receive input that’s contains a valid need couched in a ruinous suggestion for application. And sometimes you will receive terrible advice that was sparked from a genuine point of need. It’s important to take time to understand the heart of what the commenter is saying and to discern how to meet the true need, while honoring the heart of your story. Because here’s the beautiful thing, writer…
Learning to leverage constructive criticism is about learning to find that space where the heart of your story and the heart of your reader meet and to weave both together into a seamless tapestry. Now, like the creation of a tapestry, integrating constructive criticism can be a messy process. Just flip that tapestry over sometime, and you’ll see plenty of wild looking threads and a mess of knots! But when we take the time to truly listen, discern, and grow, not only will our story become clearer and stronger, we will become wiser and more capable communicators, too. Because here’s the real deal…
Learning the leverage constructive criticism is really about learning to walk more closely with our God, better understanding not only His heart for us and our work, but His heart in and us through us for others, too. Because here’s the final thought…
When we are willing to submit to the refining process of constructive criticism with Him as our guide, we not only learn to discern, but we learn how to speak timely truths to the lives of others. Just like Cabrini’s refining process not only brought her to China but equipped her to establish an “empire of hope” across the globe along the way. Just like Moses not only avoided burnout but created a system that ensured equal hearing for all. Just like I not only equipped my community for prayer, but learned to develop fresh teachings, which constitutes a significant portion of my ministry work to this very day.
So, I encourage you today, writer, to begin to embrace the messy process of constructive criticism, asking the Lord to guide you as you go and give you wisdom as you co-labor to birth a new expression of His heart. Because here’s the beautiful thing. When we co-labor with God to create a fresh expression of His glory, we can never measure how that expression will give birth to the work of God in the lives of others, too.
#growth #wisdom #ConstructiveCriticism #EveryWriterWriting
