I don’t handle critical people very well. Which is supremely ironic because I AM ONE
Maybe that’s one step toward getting better; I know I have this failing.
The next step is that I know how awful it is to be in a room with someone who has absolutely nothing positive to say.
I just had to retreat from a room about 20 minutes ago that was so filled with negative comments that I knew I was going to break out in some completely un-professional excess if I didn’t get out of there. I was either going to explode in a temper or say something nasty or burst out into tears. So I did the only thing I could think of: I left. I excused myself from the room. My departure was probably abrupt enough that every one knows WHY I left, but I can’t really help that at this point.
Oh Lord please help me. Make me observant LORD. Help me to never ever make someone else feel as horrible as I have felt the last hour. Stop my tongue Lord Jesus.
And Lord, help me to know how to deal with people kindly when they are verbally pecking at me. I don’t want to be a door-mat Lord, but I want to show Your Heart. The trouble is I don’t know what You would have done in that room. I just don’t know.
*sigh*
stream of continuousness 
Alas, I too have the same problem. I’m a “work in progress,” when it comes to being critial. I sometimes can spot in defect in someone during the first ten minutes within our meeting. You’re right, however, our awareness of our “stuff” is the first step to changing it. thanks for your post.
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I hate to nit pick but your punctuation for:
Oh Lord please help me. Make me observant LORD. Help me to never ever make someone else feel as horrible as I have felt the last hour. Stop my tongue Lord Jesus.
should really be:
Oh, Lord, please help me. Make me observant, LORD. Help me to never ever make someone else feel as horrible as I have felt the last hour. Stop my tongue, Lord Jesus.
Try to do better next time.
(Sorry, you left the door so wide open. I hope you see my tongue in my cheek. And if you can’t, you’re just a square and overly critical – Hug.)
I am a square and overly critical hug? I didn’t know hugs could be square. Or critical for that matter. Thanks for stopping by. I’ve missed you.
😉
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You are talking to the queen of critical. I have learned to make the criticism to myself and then make a decision. Do I want to overlook this thing and spend time with this person or will I not be able to do that and then choose not to make that person a significant part of my life.
For example, I have a friend who is not a reliable person when it comes to commitments such as singing in my worship team or going out and stuff like that. Bruce does not understand why I put up with it. Well I know her reasons for her lack of reliability (depression,anxiety attacks, IBS) and have chosen to cut her slack and deal with the uncertainties. I hope that makes sense to you. Love ya babe,
J
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My gosh! When I read “epbush’s” response to “critical spirit” about her punctuation, I immediately saw the mis-spellings in my own response and thought, “What are they talking about? My punctuation is fine, it’s my spelling that wasn’t double checked!” (Then, I realized, no one was talking about me after all…) I’m wondering if all the critical people “out there” are just being polite about my errors? Or, is it that no one noticed? In any case, are sure you didn’t mistakenly hit a few wrong keys when you edited my response? I mean, really, I didn’t make those spelling errors. Or, did I? 🙂
(Only kidding.) At least we know we’re critical and it doesn’t sound like we’re in denail oops, denial.
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PS I give you permission to clean up my English if you spot any more errors in my responses. Once, the “submit” button is clicked, that’s it, I can’t revise and revise again…
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