I can’t think of a single person who enjoys being misunderstood. Especially if you aren’t given the chance to tell the real story.
The only alternative is to live like a hermit and avoid this inevitable fact of life and sharing the world with other humans.
The other day someone made a comment suggesting that the reason that I dress the way I do is because I like the attention. I was so taken aback that I couldn’t even think fast enough to give a response before our conversation was interrupted and the moment was gone. Not too long ago, I would have been a combination of angry and sad at having been so misunderstood. But over the past few years I have come to a realization that has set me free from that type of angst. And here it is: God knows the truth. I know the truth. And the people who know my heart know the truth. And somehow, that’s enough now.
Before I would have pled my case, telling her that the reason I dress the way I do is not for the the attention. I do it for the creativity. The challenge of wearing interesting and unusual combinations just because they’re fun and comfortable and keep me from getting bored with my wardrobe. I would have told her that I dress this way whether I am with people or alone. That I love finding old thrift store finds and pairing them, layering them and wearing them in new ways.
But none of that really matters. Because the truth is the truth. And whether a person decides to believe it or not believe it, to know it or not know it, to understand it or misunderstand it, it is still the truth. It needs no defense. It will eventually speak for itself if you get to know me.
Have you had a similar experience? A time where your best intentions and motives were questioned or misunderstood? Chance are you have and you probably will again.
Even Jesus was misunderstood. This perfect God-man with flawless motivations was being questioned and accused and ridiculed during His entire ministry. Right before He went to the cross, the men who would sentence Him to death, the men who would nail Him to a tree, HIS OWN CREATION, the ones He was dying to save, would not see Him for who He was and would mock Him. He had every defense under the sun that he could have used to clear His name and reputation. But He didn’t. Because He knew the truth. He knew the heart of God – His own heart. He knew that His reason for coming to earth, for healing people, for teaching and for doing miracles was not for attention for Himself. It was to bring glory to God and to restore relationship between God and man. He came became because of self-less love not selfish gain. And that perfect love was misunderstood. But it was truth. It would prove itself.
If you know your own heart and that it follows after the heart of God in its desires and motivations, let that truth be enough. No matter what others might choose to believe or say or think, let truth be its own voice in the evidence of your life and how you live it. There is amazing freedom in that…
1 Samuel 16:7 – The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
Matthew 27:12 – But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent.
