Analyst
2019 Analyst
I was contemplating the
difference between an analyst and a critic…
As a business owner, analysis of a person’s talents, abilities, resources and
yes, strengths and weaknesses can help avoid putting both of you in a “no win”
situation.
I feel like an analyst
evaluates a persons strengths and weaknesses, without condemnation, but in an
effort to best utilize their strengths.
A critic on the other hand, according to Webster is: “1a: one who expresses a reasoned
opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth,
righteousness, beauty, or technique”
This feels harsher, stronger to me… it feels like a critic who
looks for the weakness and attacks… rips it open.
I work hard to be more of an analyst… what are the weak areas and how do we
work with them… It is not my job to change people, it is the Holy Spirit’s job.
This is a topic I visit repeatedly – it is an area where I consistently search
for balance. As I search, I find several times I have written about it in the
past:
“When you are critical, you are part of the problem,
When you are prayerful and teachable, you are
part of the solution”
“Lord, please make my words appropriate and kind, sweet but truthful,
and encouraging, not critical… in the absence of that, please let my words be
few. Amen.”
If you can not love someone for who they are, you will neither
love nor respect them if they become who you are trying to make them to be:
Neither will they love or respect themselves.
As is often the case, we already KNOW how we should think, how we should act,
how we should speak… we just need to re-align our heart and our actions with
what we know…
I can do that on my own strength with much effort and much failing, or I can
call in the ultimate heart surgeon. As Pastor Norm Nelson used to share, “Allow
the Holy Spirit to live the life of the Father through you…”
I can’t do it successfully on my own. I can do better than I am now, but I will
still fall short. Isn’t it amazing how often strength comes not from gritting
our teeth but from surrendering to our own inability and leaning on God’s
strength?
One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 4:30-32
It is so easy for critical to morph into bitterness. “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil
speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be
kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in
Christ forgave you.”