This is a difficult post for me to write. I’ve consulted some trusted friends on this before writing as I want to ensure that this is not a knee jerk response to the countless blogs out there that are going after pastors and ministry leaders** through social media and blasting them on blogs and other platforms.

I recognize that these type of posts are attractive to people. How do I know? Just take a look at the social shares these posts are getting and the publicity that the authors receive. At the end, these type of posts drive clicks and ensure page visits and views. However, I have seriously begun to consider the cost? How does this affect the church “universal”? Is it positive, negative, or neutral? Do these posts even matter in the long run?

A few months back I wrote a post asking people to pray for Mark Driscoll. Today, I see posts that continue to put him on blast. I wonder…have we really taken time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to intervene and do a change that our best blog post could never obtain?

So what’s the dilemma? Why do I fear writing this post?

The Dilemma:

I think that pastors, teachers, and leaders need to be held accountable to their actions. This is a very biblical concept and this is done through a local church context. I realize that the larger the platform the larger the reach these individuals have with their message. It’s nerve racking to think that the message communicated to people about the Gospel and scriptures are inaccurate. So, should there be accountability? Yes! But who is responsible to provide the accountability and how should it be done?

Before you write your next post blasting someone, ask yourself: Is this is a conviction that I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to and is it supported by scripture?

Internal Motivation:

I think if we were honest with ourselves most of us would come to the realization that our motivation to write and put people on blast is more about ourselves and what we receive than about the good of the other person and the church at large. I can relate to Jeremiah (Jer 17:9-11) as he describes the condition of the human heart.

⁹  The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick;

who can understand it?

¹⁰  “I the Lord search the heart

and test the mind,

to give every man according to his ways,

according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Our motivations may be fueled by a desire to build our own platform and influence. @Muddamalle
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After prayer and consideration, if we find that our motivation is rooted in a desire to build our own platform or influence, it’s better to stop writing than allow our platform and influence to grow. There is more challenge and danger that is waiting for us if our internal motivation is not considered. Further, the biblical model of correction seems to occur within a local context. The local church elders and those that are apart of accountability for a pastor, teacher, and leader. The weight of responsibility falls on these individuals for the process of correction and addressing issues and concerns.

Possible Damage:

I can’t help but consider what the world thinks of us as they look behind the curtains and see Christians at each other’s throat’s. What kind of witness does this accomplish, if any? I believe it’s worth noting the tension that we find in Titus 2 and 3. We see a call and clear direction to teach sound doctrine. Similarly, we are also called to be in good standing within our community. In fact, Titus 2 ends with a specific command. Paul states, “Let no one disregard you”. Again, I can’t help but consider that there are people out there that disregard christians because it seems like we look no different from anyone else. In fact, in some ways things look worse because there are continuous civil wars occurring. As we turn to the opening versus of Titus 3 Paul turns his attention to how believers should conduct themselves. In the age of social media I believe these words are more timely now than ever before. Take a moment to consider the words of the Apostle Paul.

3 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, ² to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. ³ For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴ But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

While the context of this passage is in relation to “rulers and authorities” the command to show perfect courtesy toward “all people” does in fact mean, “ALL PEOPLE”. Even if we are not under the authority or submission to these “celebrity” pastors we should still show them a certain level of respect and honor (1 Th 5:12-13, 1 Ti 5:17) while balancing the biblical mandate to stand up for and speak truth.

Again, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t stand up for truth. Simply that we should do it in a manner that is honoring and fits our context. Engage in meaningful discussion with friends, in your small group, at your church, and if you post anything public be considerate about your tone and content in the post. Do what’s helpful for the church and follow your convictions as they are guided by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Final Consideration:

Consider your platform and influence. In all honesty, if these things should be addressed I have a feeling that there are individuals in equal platform and influence that can and do address these issues. Simply sharing those articles can be helpful. Also, many of these pastors have Q/A sessions for their blogs or through twitter. Take time to ask these questions through those mediums and see how they respond.

I am convinced that building my platform will result in failure, so I’d rather make Jesus famous.

Conversation:

Please check out my clarification point below, first.

Now, I’d love to hear your thoughts! What do you agree with, what confuses you, where do your completely disagree? Feel free to post a comment on this post, on my Facebook page, or tweet to me @muddamalle. Looking forward to engaging in healthy and helpful conversation.

** Clarification * – The “preachers” who I am referring to that are being singled out are making headlines of blogs  are within the body the Christ. They are brothers and sisters in Christ and while what they say may be controversial they would not fall into the category of “False Teachers”. Therefore, my request for caution in our response is in light of this important fact.

The post The New Cool: Blasting Preachers On Your Blog appeared first on Joel's Travels.

I’ve called it numerous things in the past. A pursuit of excellence, paying attention to detail, just wanting everything to be the best it can be, but finally I realized that the best definition for my behavior was simply; being critical. The funny thing is, I hate it when people are critical of me.

My critical nature robs me of joy, every time. Other peoples criticism of me leaves me deflated.

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The pleasure of criticizing robs us of the better pleasure of unconscious delight
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Spurgeon helps us see that there is value even in friends who are critical.

So how do we respond to criticism? Should we respond to criticism? Yes, we should respond to criticism. However, its more complex than that. Sometimes we need to address those that are being critical and at other times we need to address the criticism privately with ourselves. The latter sounds crazy, but its the most helpful approach to criticism that I have found.

1. Respond:

If you are responding to the person who is being critical and addressing the issue, do so both prayerfully and with an extra measure of grace. Again, sounds crazy but most biblical responses are crazy. The individual being critical with you is doing so out of a lack of grace. The reasons could be numerous, but more often than not, its simply because they have never been shown grace. Take this opportunity to show grace to the person. Let them know how their approach made you feel. First, start with anything they said that may have been accurate and true. This introspection will help them see that your response is not knee jerk but a thoughtful response that takes into consideration what they said, regardless of how they said it.

2. Respond Personally:

Don’t respond directly to the individual. Sometimes its not helpful. The result could be more damaging that restorative and relationship building. In these instances still address the criticism but do so personally. Consider what the individual said and their background or perspective. Now ask if there was any truth in what they said. Do your best to remove the emotion and the delivery method. Surprisingly, there may be something that is incredibly helpful. Our ability to pull apart the truth regardless of how the message was delivered is essential in our personal development and applies to al areas of our life.

3. Forgive, Release, Act:

Act on what was true in the message and forgive and release the person that delivered the message in a hurtful manner. Part of our maturity both spiritually and emotionally affects our ability to forgive. Often, our pre-requisite to forgiveness is the other person being willing to forgive us or acknowledge their own faults. The best thing you could do for yourself personally, is truly forgive others regardless of how they respond or what they do. Finally, put in place a plan to change whatever the other person points out. Regardless of how you received the information, it’s yours now. So be wise and accountable to that and put in place the action steps to change what you need to.

Bonus: Don’t let criticism get under your skin. The poet Tasso says is well as he responds to his enemies speaking ill and criticizing his works:

“I am not disturbed. How much better it is that he speak ill of me to all the world than that all the world should speak ill of me to him”.

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