The normal reaction to complaints is to get defensive, be enveloped by self pity, or even get angry.
Thoughts may include...
"How dare they complain. Don't they know how much work it took to pull that off?"
"They're complaining and they don't even serve anywhere. Why should I listen to them?"
"I can't believe they had the nerve to say that!"
"We do all this and they find the one thing we missed to complain about! Can you believe that!"
"Let's see them organize an event like that and see how they do!"
When you begin to feel those emotions, shift your thinking another direction and it will change the way you look at complaints.
Train yourself to think like this...
"I'm glad they had the courage to say what other people didn't have the courage to say."
"This is a gift. I can take this and use it to make the ministry better."
"It's awesome I'm now able to see this from a different perspective."
Complaints...they will make you bitter or better. It all depends on how you look at it.
