FEAR NO CRITICS (Sunday Sermon)

By Ewere Okonta

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www.ewereokontablog.org.ng

 

It was a quiet Monday morning in a fast-growing tech hub somewhere in Asaba, Nigeria. Onyeka, a young entrepreneur barely in his thirties, had just launched a bold new digital platform aimed at solving a real problem, connecting rural farmers to urban markets using simple mobile technology.

 

Within hours, the reactions came.

 

At first, it was applause. “Innovative!” “Brilliant!” “Game changer!”

 

Then came the critics.

 

“This will never work in Nigeria.”

“You’re too inexperienced for something this big.”

“Who do you think you are?”

 

One comment struck him deeply: “You’re just making noise like the rest.”

 

That night, Onyeka almost shut everything down.

 

But then something happened. He stumbled on a message from an unexpected source, an old lecturer who wrote:

 

“Your idea is strong, but your execution is weak. Fix your logistics, strengthen your team, and you might just succeed. Don’t be emotional. Be strategic.”

 

That was the turning point.

 

Not the praise. Not the insults. But the criticism.

 

And that is where today’s sermon begins.

 

WHAT IS CRITICISM, REALLY?

 

Let’s be honest, many of us hate criticism. We pray against it. We block people because of it. We avoid environments where it exists.

 

But criticism, in its purest form, is not an attack, it is feedback.

 

It is a mirror.

 

It is a spotlight.

 

It is, sometimes, the uncomfortable truth that nobody else has the courage to tell you.

 

The problem is not criticism. The problem is how we interpret it.

 

THE TWO FACES OF CRITICISM

 

Not all critics are the same. That’s where discernment comes in.

 

1. Constructive Criticism (The Builders)

 

These are people who correct you because they care. Their words may sting, but they carry wisdom.

They don’t just point out your flaws, they offer direction.

They are rare. And they are valuable.

 

2. Destructive Criticism (The Destroyers)

 

These ones don’t want you to improve, they want you to retreat.

Their criticism is laced with envy, insecurity, and bitterness.

They attack your person, not your process.

They don’t correct; they condemn.

 

HERE IS THE CONTROVERSIAL TRUTH

 

If nobody is criticising you, you are probably not doing anything significant.

 

Yes, I said it.

 

Silence is not always approval. Sometimes, it is irrelevance.

 

Greatness attracts attention, and attention attracts criticism.

 

THE UPSIDE OF CRITICISM

 

Let’s flip the script.

 

Criticism can:

 

• Sharpen your thinking

 

• Expose blind spots

 

• Strengthen your resolve

 

• Improve your execution

 

• Build emotional intelligence

 

Onyeka didn’t succeed because people praised him.

 

He succeeded because he listened, filtered, adjusted and kept going.

 

THE DANGERS OF CRITICISM

 

But let’s not romanticize it.

 

Criticism can also:

 

• Break confidence

 

• Delay action

 

• Kill dreams prematurely

 

• Push people into self-doubt

 

Many destinies have died, not because of failure, but because of fear of criticism.

 

DISCERNMENT: YOUR GREATEST WEAPON

 

So how do you handle criticism?

 

You don’t absorb everything.

 

You filter.

 

Ask yourself:

 

• Is this person speaking from knowledge or ignorance?

 

• Is there truth hidden inside the tone?

 

• Does this criticism point to improvement or just insult?

 

Learn to separate noise from nuggets.

 

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATION: HANDLING CRITICS WITH WISDOM

 

Consider the story of Nehemiah.

 

When he set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he faced intense criticism from men like Sanballat and Tobiah.

 

They mocked him:

 

“What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall?”

 

They ridiculed him. They threatened him. They tried to distract him.

 

But Nehemiah did something powerful.

 

He didn’t stop the work.

 

He didn’t engage in useless arguments.

 

He responded with focus:

 

“I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”

 

And he kept building.

 

That is maturity.

 

That is focus.

 

That is how winners respond to critics.

 

ANOTHER HARD TRUTH

 

Some critics are not against you, they are against what your success represents.

 

Your growth exposes their stagnation.

 

Your courage confronts their fear.

 

Your progress irritates their comfort zone.

 

So, they criticize not because you are wrong, but because you are moving.

 

HOW TO MANAGE CRITICISM AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE

 

1. Listen without emotional panic

Not every criticism is an attack.

 

2. Extract the lesson

Even harsh words can carry hidden truth.

 

3. Ignore the noise

Not every voice deserves your attention.

 

4. Stay focused on your mission

Distraction is the enemy of destiny.

 

5. Use criticism as fuel, not poison

Let it drive you, not destroy you.

 

THE FINAL WORD

 

Onyeka didn’t become successful because people believed in him.

 

He became successful because he learned to handle criticism intelligently.

 

He grew thicker skin.

 

He developed sharper insight.

 

He refused to come down from his “great work.”

 

So, I ask you today:

 

Are you running from critics… or learning from them?

 

Because the truth is this:

 

Your critics can either bury you… or build you.

 

The choice is yours.

 

Fear no voice. Just know which one to listen to.

 

This is the Sunday sermon from my holy pulpit!

 

Ewere Okonta is the CEO of EOB Media. He is a family values advocate. He writes from the Department of Business Administration, University of Delta, Agbor.

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