Love Overpowers Criticism

Daily Gratitude Year 5-Day 236: Today, I am grateful love is more powerful than criticism.

What inspires us to work harder - love or criticism? Now, there is a time and a place for constructive criticism, but love must lay the groundwork so the recipient can be built up and inspired. 

The tongue is a hard beast to tame. This scripture gives direction and purpose to the tongue: 

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. -Ephesians 4:29

Easier said than done, right? Perhaps the struggle is not foul or abusive language, but the second part of the instruction: "Let everything you say be good and helpful."

"Love has the kind of power criticism only wishes it had." - Bob Goff

I love working with people who building up others. I was blessed to be surrounded with people who loved children when I was a child. I remember one in particular.

Her name was Miss Spaulding. She was our 6th grade science teacher. If my memory serves me correctly, she truly was a "Miss". I seem to recall she may have fostered some children, but her students were her children. It was many years ago and my memory fades. What I do remember was her ability to speak firmly, yet pour love on us at the same time. 

Miss Spaulding had a phrase that meant we were pushing her last button and we had better shape up. She would say, "Children, I love you dearly, but you must behave." She didn't yell. She didn't lose her cool. She confidently spoke the promise of love and discipline in her one simple sentence. 

Strange events meant we lost her before we finished the school year. She didn't show up to teach our class and at first, we let the clock tick. But, knowing her character, we eventually became concerned and some of us went to the office to tell Mr. Askew, our principal. 

Miss Spaulding was an early recipient of a pacemaker, back when the procedure was difficult. She died in the bathroom that day. We all felt the guilt of "We should have gone sooner." but the truth is... it would have not made a difference. It was the mid-70's. 

A part of her stayed with us and remains to this day. Her perfected application of love with firm direction.

"Children, I love you dearly, but you must behave."  It echoes in my memory. It brings back thoughts of her. She wanted the best for us and we were... collectively... a handful at times. We were a bright, wide-eyed crew. Using the world "children" from her lips was not an insult, but an embrace. It held far more power than yelling or threats. 

"Children, I love you dearly, but you must behave." Isn't that the same truth our Lord speaks over us. He wants us to learn his ways. He wants us to see with his eyes and love with his heart. Sometimes, he needs to remind us to be have. 

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. -Ephesians 4:15

Love is far more powerful than criticism. Relationships can be made or broken based on which we choose to apply. 

Today, I am grateful love is more powerful than criticism.