Learning From Your Critics

Billy Graham's grandson, Rev. Tullian Tchividjian, is the pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida. This is the church founded and pastored for 50 years by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy.

That church has just gone through a leadership struggle. When discussing that situation, Tullian shared with Christianity Today Magazine a lesson his grandfather taught him about handling conflict and controversy. - Allow Your Critics to Teach You .

"I have talked to him about it on numerous occasions. His encouragement to me is, 'Simply, by God's grace, I've weathered many storms just like this, and if you submit to what God is trying to teach you, he will make you wise and humble and useful.'

In other words, don't become proud and self-righteous. Be teachable. And God will make you useful.

Don't become bitter, in other words. Allow even your most vocal critics, who may criticize you unjustifiably, to become tools in God's hands to teach you something. Emerge from this more of a gospel man, more of a God-centered man."

Wise words from the good Dr. Billy.