No matter who we are, the positions we hold, what benevolent acts we perform or the accomplishments we achieve, we will have critics. As we move through life to fulfill the plan and purpose God has put in our hearts, we will face people that will judge and criticize us or try to tear us down simply because we received a promotion at work and they didn’t or we have more money than they do or more influence. Or maybe it’s because they don’t have all the facts surrounding your life, your business, family or ministry and they’ve made a judgement call about you and your character with limited information. Regardless of the reasons why, you will have people that can’t handle your success. And the more successful you are and influence you have, the more critics you will face. Even Jesus – the Son of God, who was perfect in every way and who went around doing great good wherever He went had critics and people who hated and despised him.

So what do we do when we face critics? How do we handle those that say things about us that are untrue or invalid? We pay them no mind. That’s what Jesus did. When He stood in front of His accusers before He was crucified, He said nothing!

“The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.” Mark 15:3-5 NIV

Sometimes the most mature thing we can do is to humble ourselves and say nothing. It takes a lot of time and energy to try to defend ourselves and convince our enemies of our innocence. Jesus knew this. Instead of trying to convince those that didn’t want to listen to reason, Jesus entrusted Himself to God and let God vindicate Him. Jesus knew His mission was to fulfill His purpose on the earth, which was to take upon Himself the sin of the world, not get caught up trying to defend himself against His accusers. They couldn’t comprehend His purpose or destiny. And neither will your critics.

The Bible says, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 NLT

When we ask God for His help to not respond in the flesh and allow Him to fight our battles for us, we leave room for Him to do a miracle and to do what only He can do. God raised Jesus from the dead and Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God in victory! Just as God fought Jesus’ battles for Him, He wants to fight for you and do a miracle on your behalf as well. The key is to not take things into your own hands. Instead, ask God for His help and wisdom. He is eagerly waiting to go to work on your behalf.

Nehemiah had a God-size stirring in his heart to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem for His people the Israelites who had been taken into captivity by the Persians. He asked the King of Persia for permission to go rebuild the wall and the King granted his request. When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he met with the few residents who remained in the land to inspire them to help fix the wall. As progress started, two enemies of the Israelites, Sanballat and Tobiah, ridiculed them and said they wouldn’t be able to accomplish this big task. As progress on the wall continued, these two enemies made threats against God’s people and sent letters trying to discourage the Israelites from building. This was Nehemiah’s response, “I knew they were scheming to hurt me so I sent messengers back with this: ‘I’m doing a great work; I can’t come down. Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?’ Four times they sent this message and four times I gave them my answer” (Nehemiah 6:2-4). Nehemiah’s enemies were trying to distract him from accomplishing the mission God put in his heart. But, Nehemiah discerned that this was a plot to keep him from doing what was right. He didn’t waste his time or energy by coming down from the wall to meddle with his enemies. He let God fight his battles and he kept his eyes fixed on the mission!

As we keep our eyes focused on the plan and purpose God put in our hearts, we will keep from getting into petty arguments and battles that are not ours to fight. Let God defend you. Let Him promote you. Let Him prepare a banqueting table for you in the presence of your enemies!
One time there was a person in my life maligning my character, making assumptions based off of half information. No matter what additional information and facts I shared to shed light on the situation, this person refused to believe it. I found myself getting frustrated and upset. In that moment in the quietness of my heart, I began to pray and ask God for His wisdom. He showed me a mental picture on the movie screen of my mind of Jesus standing before Pilot and the Sanhedrin and He SAID NOTHING! He let God fight His battles for Him. After praying, I understood what I was supposed to do – say nothing and let God vindicate me. Peace returned and I stopped focusing on this person and began concentrating on the tasks God had assigned to me. I eventually realized this was a plot of the enemy, the Devil, to try to get me off track, wasting valuable time and energy on arguments that don’t matter.

In the same way, I want to encourage you to let God fight your battles for you. Let Him promote you and elevate you in the presence of your enemies. When we try to vindicate ourselves, God sits back and watches. But when we ask God to help us have self-control and let Him vindicate us, all of Heaven stands at attention and God begins to work on our behalf. Victory might not happen immediately, but rest assured, God is working and will prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies!