Faceless Criticism

Kevin Durant made one of the biggest free-agent decisions in NBA history when he chose to leave the Thunder to join the Warriors. Any time a move with this magnitude is made, people are going to have opinions about it. Former athletes, media members, current players, and fans all have something to say about Durant, and many of them are voicing their criticism and negative feelings about the signing. However, as loud as the noise seems to be surrounding Durant, he recently made some interesting comments: "All that stuff happens on the Internet. I haven’t had one person come to me and say anything negative. It’s easy for the critics on the outside to tell you what to do, to tell you how to play." This is not surprising, is it? It happens in the media world all the time. Hosts rip a player during their show, and then when the player comes on to do an interview, they only speak highly of them. It’s also common in our own lives for people to complain, criticize, gossip, and tell everyone else their feelings about someone or a specific situation, but not share it with the individual face to face. Unfortunately, people aren’t always genuine when speaking to others directly because they’d rather go behind their back to talk negatively about them. However, I think discussing openly, honestly, and "man to man" about the concerns we have, or ways we’ve been hurt, is important. If we have opinions or reasons to be upset with someone, getting to the bottom of it and lovingly coming to an understanding, is crucial. The Bible encourages us in Matthew 18:15 (ESV), “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." It’s very challenging to bring up our issues with other people, including our spouses, family members, or coworkers, but when we do so with the goal of mending relationships, the discomfort is well worth it. Ultimately, when we have an understanding of the grace Jesus has shown us, we have the ability to give the same grace when dealing with relational conflict. Change happens when we bring our complaints, hurts, and criticism to the surface in love. I’m Bryce Johnson and you can unpack that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I've allowed frustration and bitterness toward someone to build up, instead of approaching them directly with my concerns. Help me, to be honest, and open with those who have hurt me, so that those relationships can be mended. Allow me to approach these situations with an attitude of love and grace. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.