Dealing with being Misunderstood
Picture this: you're having your morning or evening devotional, or you're on your way to work, washing the dishes, on an afternoon jog – whatever, next thing you know, the still, small voice of God speaks to you and says: ------------!!!!! In just a few seconds, minutes - your life has been permanently changed – a fire has been ignited in your heart. You have received instructions for a specific purpose that previously; you had only partially considered or thought about.
"Excited" doesn't begin to express what you feel at receiving this mandate from the Lord! There is no way that the joy you have can't be contagious! Yet – when you share what the Lord has deposited in your heart with others, you are met with derision and even disbelief.
Now what do you do? Do you ignore or reject what you perceive to be the vision God has set before you when others with whom you stand and hold in high regard don't understand it? Or do you risk personal rejection and, with faith step out and make yourself available for the manifestation of the vision?
Of course, for some people, it's easy to say: "I'll follow the Lord! I don't care what people say!" However, I Peter 5:5 tells us that we should humbly submit to those in authority over us. When the people who don't understand you are the ones you look to for support and spiritual nurturance, this kind of challenge is not easily conquered, or resolved. Most likely, you'll find yourself bombarded by feelings of frustration, fear and doubt concerning what you have discerned or heard. Yet, it is in moments such as these that our individual faith is tried and prayerfully made golden.
In those times when I find myself faced with various trials and tests, great or small, the Lord has taught me to pray, "Lord, I thank you for moving by Your Spirit of Truth and revealing what is of You and what is not of You". Proverbs 3:5-7 says: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear (reverence, honor) the Lord and depart from all evil". In this oft-said scripture I find the strength, freedom and courage to totally submit and obey God. I don't have to seek to establish the validity of my position, I only seek to be obedient to Him and His Word.
When I hear about people being confronted with skepticism and background noise from well and not so well meaning friends, I remember my pastor and spiritual mother's testimony. She is blessed to have a rich and diverse spiritual training history. As a child, she was raised in an African Methodist Episcopal church. At the age of 9, she received the Lord Jesus as her personal Savior in a Pentecostal camp. In her adult years she faithfully worked in a well-known charismatic church and then found herself led to join and work as a teacher and head counselor in a strict, holiness, Pentecostal church.
A time came when another member of the church, a Bible school student, invited her to conduct a Bible-study for his newly converted parents and other family members. My pastor didn't know that by consenting to lead this Bible-study, she was taking the first steps towards initiating a new work for the Lord. The Bible study grew beyond the immediate family members to include close friends, neighbors and associates. Because of the family's musical performance background, a great majority of the people also happened to be in the entertainment business. As word spread that she was leading a Bible study attended by professional actors and dancers, ridicule and major rebuke came from those who she had come to know as fellow co-laborers in Christ and, even her beloved pastor. It was as if they were saying, " God forbid - how could those 'show business' people of the world ever be saved?"
She shared with those of us who were there in the beginning – the hurt and disillusionment she felt, as she had thought that when God makes known His call, it would be received with support and joy by her brothers and sisters. Yet, through her tears she chose to be obedient to her spiritual authority. She did not seek her own way, nor did she return the attacks but she quietly and diligently continued her work there in her home church. She also purposed to follow Christ and His leading, no matter what the cost, even if it meant "losing face" with the members and headship in her church, and continued to lead the home Bible study. In doing so, she accepted God's call to take the Gospel to a group of people that others had not considered. I am blessed that she did, for my husband and I are part of the fruit that has been produced from her being obedient to God's call.
David is another example of a person who dealt with being misunderstood. He continued to serve as a shepherd to his father's flocks, and then as a musician and attendant in King Saul's court, even though he had been designated as the next King of Israel. Now, you put some of us in David's position and our response would be ' Excuse me! God has said I'm to be the next King! Everybody – step back and recognize (me)! Yet, David, humbly made himself available for whatever task was set before him. Unfortunately, due to his receiving the accolades of others, anger and mistrust were stirred up in King Saul. Thus, began the many attacks on David's life. David's response to these attacks can be seen throughout the book of II Samuel. Even when encouraged to act in his own defense, David adamantly refused to "touch God's anointed." Instead, he chose to cry out to the Lord and find his refuge in Him.
A lot of problems start with the word 'ministry'. Much strife has been caused by the improper use of this word. Unfortunately, our natural minds have projected our own prideful yearnings onto this word and have turned 'ministry' into a word meaning a high (and holy), unique and special call that only we and we alone can do and/or have received from the Lord. However, Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines ministry as the office, duties, or functions of a minister. A minister is one who gives aid or service. In the Bible, ministry is defined simply as ‘service,’ a service to others.
In working in the church, even though we've been saved, sanctified and filled with His Most Holy Spirit, whether young or old in age or spirit, we may still carry emotional baggage filled with past hurts and insecurities. We end up competing with our brothers and sisters as well as ourselves for "positions of favor".
Whether or not a position or work is truly of the Lord, and not man, only God can tell. When faced with a new idea or way of doing things, if we're not comfortable and secure in what we are currently doing or called to then envy, jealousy and rejection may result.
Of utmost importance is our relationship with the Lord and the ongoing development of our trust in His leading and direction. If and when the Lord calls us to a specific task, it is His responsibility to equip us and manifest the fulfillment of that task in His time. He is Holy - He and His Word are one. If He has said it, we must trust that He is faithful to perform it (I Thess. 5:24, I Cor. 8-9); all we need do is be available to the leading of His Holy Spirit.
I've learned that if we try to force people to believe what we have received as being God's call for us; or, seek to defend ourselves, or run away to escape, we move out of God's divine order, and consequently away from the blessings He has for us. We must never allow the vision or call to separate us from its Source, our Lord and Savior, He who is known as El-Shaddai, He who nourishes and protects fully and completely. To do so, will put us in danger of becoming broken and defeated both spiritually and emotionally, tempted with bitterness and hardness of heart.
When we submit our wills in child-like trust and follow the Lord's leading, not only is the purpose that He has called us to fully revealed; but, also, the wonderful, foundational work that is necessary for our spirits is manifested. This enables the fruits of the Spirit to be released in our characters. A good indication of where we are spiritually is found in what we desire: the gifts of the Spirit or the Spirit’s fruits. Don't forget, it is the fruits of the Spirit that will remain when we stand before our Heavenly Father to receive our rewards, not the gifts.
In the past, as a part of his schooling, my son has been given "workbooks". These workbooks must be fully completed before he and his classmates could move on to another level. I've come to see the various people who come across my path along with the various tests and challenges that I encounter as assignments in my "Life" workbook. As I work out my own salvation with fear and trembling, I realize how I treat and respond to these people and situations determines whether or not I will have to "repeat" the same assignment, or be able to move on to an "advanced" level. My Heavenly Father has to continually remind me that the purpose of my assignments are not to show how quickly I can find the answers, nor show how correct I am; but, rather, how I allow the process of finding the answers to conform my character to His.
The stress and hurt that can accompany being misunderstood cannot be denied. Misunderstanding may be caused by miscommunication, ignorance, fear, or jealousy. Remember though, whether or not we are understood is not the point. The point is to release our will to His and allow the Lord to perfect His purpose in our lives. Do we trust Him, or not? The growth we gain from such testing is without price or measure.
In truth, this is a work of spiritual character development. The victory is not in our being recognized or proven (to be) right. The ultimate victory is found in our focus remaining solely on Him, for as Acts 17:28 says, "In Him we live and move and have our being".
