Behavior and attitudes change subtly over time, and unless something or someone brings them to our attention, we aren’t necessarily aware of wrong patterns that develop. The person least likely to say anything good may be the needed attention-bringer. All criticism contains an element of truth.
It’s important to listen to what your opposition has to say. An opponent will tell you things friends might not. An adversary’s criticism often sheds light, yielding up missing pieces to the puzzle, perhaps an embarrassing detail or maybe, and especially, the key to breakthrough.
Satan is accuser and adversary, and we know of course, to steadfastly resist him—absolutely; but another place in the Word instructs “agree with your adversary.” A friend “sharpens the countenance of a friend” and ideally that’s true, but when was the last time a friend was the sharpening iron to get your attention and force you to see the thing you absolutely refused to admit about yourself?
We can be thick-headed—slow to really get it, if you know what I mean! Recurring patterns are both cause and effect, and undetected, they continue unrestrained in repetitious circles while we honestly haven’t a clue why our breakthrough is delayed.
Whatever a man sows, he will also reap.
Amen.
1 Peter 5:8 | Matthew 5:25 | Proverbs 27:17 | Galatians 6:7 | Verses@Once