In C.S. Lewis’s “Horse and His Boy” two horses and their riders are racing back to Archenland to warn the king of their enemies, who are arriving unaware. Although they are going fast, the horses are not quite running as fast as they could. Suddenly a lion jumps out of the thicket and begins to pursue the horses, who find that they could run faster. Later we find that the lion was Aslan himself, scaring the horses to run at their true speed because they they needed to go faster because of the pursuing army.

Lewis gives us an apt lesson here that could easily apply to criticism.

Criticism can cripple us. We know that it shouldn’t, but when someone criticizes our effort we have a hard time getting back to a peaceful equilibrium. For one, it is much easier to criticize, than actually do the work. Our hours of hard work can be dismissed in just moments. Often criticism is condemning, looking not only at the perceived error, but then attributing the error as something wrong about the person. This is what Jesus means by seeing a speck in your brother’s eye, but having a plank in your own (Matthew 7).

For comfort, we often look for flaws in the other person to deflect the criticism. “They never liked me anyway.” “They are just cranks.” “They didn’t criticize me in love, or at the right time, or with the right tone…” and on and on it goes.

But what if criticism is our Lord in disguise? This surely doesn’t mean that the critique has to be embraced, although that might be just exactly what we have to do. It might be God himself using a critic to get you to be sharper, or less dependent on the opinion of men, and more dependent on him. We might fancy ourselves as very loving people indeed, patient, and forbearing — until we get criticized. Then we justify our lack of love (by keeping a record of wrongs), by their lack of love (“don’t they know a Christian is supposed to be loving?”).

When Aslan chased Bree (one of the Narnian horses), Bree found out he wasn’t as noble as he supposed. And this was all the better. For Bree learned that his estimation of himself was not who he was, but his happiness didn’t depend on his estimation of himself. Have you ever thought that criticism may just be goodness and mercy pursuing you (Psalm 23:6)?