Responding to Insult and Praise

I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t handle criticism or praise particularly well. When someone criticizes me, even gently, I can spiral into self-doubt, replaying every word until it becomes larger than it was. And when I’m praised, I tend to question the sincerity—Was that just something nice to say?—or I worry that it might inflate my ego. As a pastor, I experience both regularly. One Sunday someone may tell me, “That was the best sermon you’ve ever preached!” and on another Monday morning I may get a long email detailing everything that upset them.

Those swings can be dizzying if my identity is tied to them. But my purpose in preaching has never been to impress or aggravate; it is to be faithful. Each week I aim for this simple prayer: “Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You.” Whether the congregation applauds or critiques, I want God’s voice to matter most.

When we turn to Luke 23:33–43, we find Jesus suspended between insult and honor in the most extreme way possible. One criminal hurls insults:
“Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
The other offers reverence:
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus responds to neither with defensiveness or pride. He is unmoved by the cruelty and uninflated by the praise. His response is rooted in who He is and whose He is. The insults do not define Him. The praise does not distract Him. His identity is fixed in the Father, and out of that identity He offers mercy:
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

This scene teaches us two things about navigating both sides of human reaction.

1. Faith gives us strength to endure criticism.
Criticism, fair or unfair, can feel like a blow to the heart. Yet Jesus shows us how to endure insult without losing ourselves. Our worth isn’t determined by the voices that tear us down, and we don’t have to live imprisoned by what others think we lack. When our identity is anchored in Christ, we can listen without being crushed, learn without being undone, and respond without retaliation.

2. Faith calls us to humility in response to praise.
The words “Jesus, remember me” are some of the most beautiful ever spoken to Christ. Yet even this moment of admiration didn’t cause Jesus to indulge in self-exaltation. Praise is a gift, but not a destination. It should turn us toward gratitude, not self-glory. When praise comes, we receive it lightly, remembering that any good we do is God working through us.

As disciples, we stand near that same cross, between insults we would rather not hear and praise we may not know how to hold. But both become manageable when we live for an audience of One. Criticism and praise lose their power to define us when our deepest purpose is simply to be faithful.

So whether Sunday brings applause or Monday brings complaints, whether others build you up or tear you down, remember this:
Your calling is not to perform.
Your calling is not to please.
Your calling is to be faithful.

And God’s voice, the same voice that spoke mercy to a criminal on a cross, remains the truest word spoken over your life.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church

Prayer
Lord, anchor my identity in You alone. When criticism comes, give me strength and clarity. When praise comes, give me humility and gratitude. Help me to seek faithfulness over approval, obedience over affirmation, and Your pleasure above all others. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.