10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the ^[a]mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10 NKJV)

There are times when, no matter what we do, we take criticism. Maybe some of it is deserved and maybe we are doing our best, either way even our best efforts fall short.

The Lord searches the heart and test the mind. Meaning, He sees past the outcome and looks at the intentions. Maybe our heart and mind is in the right place but we are just unable to create a positive outcome. It too could be that God is working some different plan that does not involve a positive outcome in our situation, at least not that we can see.

In any case, God will give to us according to His ways. He is not looking for us to be perfect, He is looking for us to work out His plan to the best of our abilities. And while the outcomes may not all be perfect, He works things out according to the fruit of His doings.

Reflect on: A time when you tried to do the right thing but it ended up wrong. How you felt, and in the long run how God worked it out.