Silence the Critics
George Whitefield (1714-1770) was a British born evangelist who came to America and preached through out the colonies. Benjamin Franklin estimated that he preached to a crowd of 20,000 in Philadelphia. Franklin then became Whitefield's publisher and friend, although he never shared Whitefield's faith.
Because of his public and prominent ministry, Whitefield was a constant target of criticism. He once received a vicious letter from a vocal opponent that accused him of wrongdoing. Whitefield's reply was brief and courteous:
Dear Sir,
I thank you heartily for your letter. As for what you and my other enemies are saying against me, I know far worse things about myself than you will ever say about me.
With love in Christ,
George Whitefield
No matter what we do, we can never satisfy all of our critics. The best we can do is set our heart on pleasing God and leave the rest to Him. I would much rather depend on the mercy of the Lord than be at the mercy of the mob.
When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7 ESV)
