OVERCOMING MOCKERY AND CRITICISM THROUGH GOD'S WORD.

01/09/25

Christian Treasures Daily Devotions

Topic: Stand Up Against Them

Anchor Scripture: Proverbs 22:10 (NIV) - "Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes too. Quarrels and insults will disappear."

Greetings in Jesus' name! I hope you have a blessed month. A few days ago, I went to the International Minister Flaming Fire Conference at my church, Dunamis International Gospel Center. Many pastors, including Dr. Bill Winston, Evangelist Steve Brooks, and Dr. Dag Heward-Mills, attended.

Dr. Dag Heward-Mills shared important advice on how to handle mockers—people who never see anything good in you and often criticize others. He explained that these people rarely have helpful solutions to the problems they point out.

Dr. Heward-Mills has been in ministry for over thirty years. Early in his ministry, someone in his church constantly attacked him. This person called him arrogant and said he didn’t preach well. Whenever Dr. Heward-Mills prepared for Sunday service, he became very anxious and sick at his stomach, worrying about the mockery he would face.

While praying for help, God told him, “Cast out the mocker.” This encouragement led him to search the Scriptures and led him to our anchor verse. He then boldly confronted the person, pointed out their wrong actions, and asked them to leave the church.

Although this person had many supporters, almost half the church followed him when he left. However, the few who stayed are still with Dr. Heward-Mills today. After the mocker left, the church became stable and focused. Today, "Lighthouse" International exists in over sixty countries, while the mocker is rarely heard from in ministry anymore.

Even if you are not in ministry, you can cast out mockers from your life. Some people try to bring you down without any good reason. Instead of offering help, they prefer to criticize.

So, what is a mocker? A mocker is someone who rejects good things; they sneer, scorn, and show disdain. They create hatred for you without valid reasons. The Bible tells us to remove such people so that quarrels and hostility end. Sometimes, it is necessary to confront people about their negative behavior that disturbs our peace. If we don’t speak up, the quarrels will continue. Some may ask for forgiveness and change, but others may not stop their insults. It’s best to distance yourself from those people.

Today, we learned that we can protect our peace by staying away from those who refuse to see our worth—whether it’s in our jobs or projects. Some coworkers may mock our efforts and are quick to criticize but slow to support us when we succeed.

Reflection:Let us think about today’s anchor Scripture and find encouragement in it. Please, Lord, grant us more grace in Jesus' name, amen. If you find value in this devotion, please say this prayer:

"Dear Father, thank you for this new month and for your words to me today. Be glorified, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.”