“And the high priest stood up and said, ‘Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?’ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’” – Matthew 26:62-63
Have you ever felt misunderstood? Maybe you feel misunderstood right now. Maybe people are judging you and have labeled you in ways that couldn’t be further from the truth. In this day and age, with social media, there are a lot of people, places, and things that are misunderstood.
Whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat, these posts all give a brief snippet of what is actually happening. Yet people make full-on judgments about what they see in a video, post, or picture. Judgment is something that will never go away. It is unavoidable.
But did you know that even Jesus was misunderstood? Whether it was His teachings and ministry, His reputation, or His followers, Jesus was judged and misunderstood. And not just for a time. Jesus was misrepresented all the way up to His death. When He was brought to Pilate and King Herod, even they did not view Him as rightfully accused though He was arrested.
As a believer, you will be misunderstood. People will question your faith, your beliefs, and your actions. They will wonder why you do things differently than the rest of the world. But God never promises in your faith that you will be rightfully judged.
The truth is, it doesn’t matter what others think. That may sound like a cliche response. But God knows who you are. And when you are obediently following Him, misunderstood or not, you will be satisfied. See, most people get it wrong. They believe when others think highly of them, they will be happy.
But rightful judgment does not bring happiness. It is not about being understood or misunderstood. If you want to live a life that is fulfilling, your focus should be on obedience to God. When you follow Him, others can think what they want. But you will be greatly rewarded for doing as He says regardless of how you are viewed.