Someone once said, “The final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment.” Perhaps. But I also have a mentor who often says, “Never take unsolicited advice.” Does it have to be one or the other? Or can it be both? I’ll let you decide.

Recently, I came across a couple of opinion pieces written years ago criticizing a particular individual—his ministry, his books, and his interpretations of Scripture. The authors labeled him a heretic and dismissed his work as harmful. Yet, this man has been used by God to make an eternally profound impact on my life.

At one of the lowest points in my journey, God orchestrated a series of events that undeniably led me to a deeper understanding of my brokenness and the wholeness only found in an intimate relationship with Christ. At the center of that message was the very man these critics condemned. For over a decade, he has mentored me, consistently pointing me to God’s Word as the ultimate source of truth.

This reminds me of the story in John 9, where Jesus heals a man born blind. Because He performed this miracle on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were outraged, accusing Him of being a sinner and a heretic deserving of death. They interrogated the healed man, desperate for an explanation.

“So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, ‘Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.’
He answered, ‘Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’” (John 9:24–25 ESV)

In today’s highly charged, critique-driven world, it’s easy to let fear and doubt creep in. People often crave the attention that criticism brings. I’ve certainly said things that were misinterpreted, misunderstood, or even spoken out of ignorance—not with the intent to harm, but simply because I am human.

My response to this criticism is simple: I give all the glory to God, not man. My life was forever changed through the healing Word of Jesus, delivered by a man faithful to carrying that message. Whatever others may say, one thing I do know: though I was blind, now I see.