I'm reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller right now. I love his analogy between God and Jazz--it really resonated with me. He says, "I never liked Jazz music because Jazz music doesn't resolve."
Then Donald Miller watched a street corner saxophonist play Jazz music for fifteen minutes with his eyes closed. He says, "After that I liked Jazz music. Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself."
Then Miller says, "I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened."
What a great description of God--jazz music. He doesn't always resolve. And that can drive us crazy. But it is beautiful music if you've got the ear for it. Maybe heaven will be jazz-like?

I read an article on George Muller today. He pastored the same church for sixty-six years! He cared for more than 10,000 orphans during his lifetime. He read through the Bible more than 200 times. And he raised, by some estimates, $150 million dollars for missions.
Here was the key to his productivity: work really hard at what God has called you to do, but do not trust in your work, trust in God. What a great distinction!
Mueller said, "This is one of the great secrets in connection with successful service for the Lord; to work as if everything depended upon our diligence, and yet not to rest in the least upon our exertions, but upon the blessing of the Lord."
In other words, work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God.
We need to work, but not trust in our work. We need to plan, but not trust in our planning. We need to speak, but not trust in our speaking. We need to lead, but not trust in our leadership. We need to create, but not trust in our creativity.
Prayer doesn't replace work! It simply shows us whether we trust in our work or trust in our God.

I think my life is relatively criticism-free, but no one is immune. I think the more passionate you are about what you do the more criticism stings.
Here are some of my personal "criticism rules."
First, criticism is a fact of life. The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing! Abraham Lincoln said, "You can please all of the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you can't please all the people all the time." I think that is most true of pastors and politicians!
Second, criticism can be a good goad. It forces us to look in the mirror. Even if the criticism is given in the wrong spirit it can force me to examine my motives. Here is the Scripture test. Erwin McManus said, "Don't let an arrow pierce your heart unless it first passes through the filter of Scripture." If it passes the Scripture test then I needed the rebuke. If it doesn't pass through the filter it reinforces my convictions. Either way I win if I handle it the right way!
I don't relish criticism. But I certainly don't want to live a "criticism free" life because it means I'm not doing anything to warrant any kind of criticism!