Walk a Mile

I've been thinking about criticism a lot lately.  Yeah, I get criticized a bit.  Every leader does....but that's not the main reason I've been thinking about it.  I've been pondering it because I'm as guilty as the next guy of easily falling into the trap of criticizing others that I feel are making bad decisions or who aren't measuring up to my standards.

When you are feeling critical of another person, have you ever wondered what it might be like to walk a mile in their shoes? Probably not.  Most of, when criticizing others are doing so because they are doing something "we" don't approve of, or aren't measuring up to "our" standards.  Very rarely do we stop and think, "I wonder WHY they might be doing this?"  Have you ever stopped to consider what might be going on in a person's life that may be contributing to their actions or attitudes?

That's where the old addage "walk a mile in my shoes" makes a whole lot of sense to me.  For example, when people criticize me for not doing something at the church that they expect me to do, I often think: "I wonder if they have any concept of all that I DO do?"  Probably not.  So it leaves me to think a whole lot more about my critical thoughts toward others and it seems to be giving me a whole lot more grace for those who annoy me.  Heck, if I walked a mile in their shoes, I may not like it and I may not do a whole lot better when faced with their challenges.  

So first...to all those I have felt critical of in the past few weeks, I humbly apologize.  You may not know I have felt critical,  but I do and that's unacceptable to me.  Second, if you have struggled to feel like people around you don't measure up or are a dissapointment to you, stop for a moment right now and consider what life might be like walking a mile in their shoes.  Maybe it'll help you change your attitude.  It's seems to be working for me.