Are You Willing to be Misunderstood?

Read Jeremiah 38:14-23

Have you ever found yourself in the strange position of only being really brave if you were willing to be thought a coward? True courage for Zedekiah meant refusing to fight to the end as the princes advised but, instead, following Jeremiah's counsel and surrendering without striking a blow. At heart he probably agreed with the prophet, but he was "afraid of the Jews" (v.19) and so refused to surrender the city.

The Christian must be ready for this sort of situation. Sometimes, for example, we can only really be kind by appearing to be cruel; and a person who is secretly generous often has to bear being thought of in public as mean or tight-fisted. It has in fact been said that the deepest form of humility is that which can accept without protest the charge of being proud.

It is one thing for people to misread our actions, but much harder to bear when they misunderstand our motives. Paul experienced this. People thought that his refusal to take a salary (I Corinthians 9) was due to the fact that he was not a real apostle unlike Peter, whereas all the time it was due to his desire not to be a burden to the growing Christian churches. It remains the case that loyalty to Christ is easily misinterpreted by those who do not know Him.

Prayer: Lord, help me always to be true to You, even if other think me false. For the sake of Christ my Lord. Amen.

Image: Jeremiah before King Zedekiah.