Do you catch yourself trying to explain to those who misunderstand you? It can be anyone in our circle of influence, and we become impulsive about this because we don’t want to be seen as cold, arrogant, or ungrateful. Misunderstanding looks like people wanting to maintain the story they’re committed to — about who you are, what role you play, how life works — they must filter you through their own projections. When you stop expending energy to constantly manage narratives, you free yourself from the exhausting need for external validation and claim your peace. People see us through their own experiences, insecurities, and expectations. Their opinions are often reflections of their inner world—not accurate summaries of who we are. And no amount of explaining can change how someone chooses to see you. Having said that, there are times we must explain ourselves especially to our loved ones, should there be a need when you are being wrongly misunderstood.
Jesus was frequently misunderstood by the public, religious leaders, and even His own inner circle of disciples. These misunderstandings usually occurred because people took His spiritual teachings literally, or because His mission clashed with their cultural and political expectations. Jesus was the fulfilment of all the prophecies told over 600 years ago. Jesus healed the sick; the lame walked, the blind saw, the deaf and mute spoke and could hear, lepers cleansed and healed and the dead were raised yet people misunderstood Him to be a political competitor, assuming He is going to build a new empire. People expected Jesus would use the same divine power to subdue nations, establish political headquarters and overthrow their opponent. But when Jesus the God of love was in the business of transforming lives, giving hope of another kingdom, which is life after death, it became difficult for His enemies to handle Him anymore. They were offended by Him.
If you are following Christ, people will misunderstand you. There are names people attach to Christians as “rice-bag Christians” blaming early missionaries who helped the poor, needy, hungry and vulnerable to have dignity in the society. Today, there are many followers of Christ from the around the world who are persecuted and robbed of their rights to live. They don’t fight back; they either go on a silent protest or pray for the persecutors. Consequently, they are once again misunderstood as weak minority and the ones who are following foreign religion. My dear friends don’t worry if people misunderstand you for being and doing good. It is not easy to suffice with many explanations to convince anyone. This world cannot handle truth, love and righteousness. But God who understands your motives and intentions will know who you are.
In the story of Jesus when the Jews accused Him with all kinds of allegation and demanded the Roman government to torture and crucify Him, Jesus allowed them to misunderstand Him for the bigger picture to unravel. The Bible records when Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, all thought it was the end of the story except the Roman Centurion who after witnessing Jesus on the cross exclaimed, “Truly He is the son of God”. That was not all, after the third day Jesus rose from the grave, which took the entire history to a new level. The misunderstood God proved to the entire world that He has the power over life and death. My dear friends, I encourage you to not give up on your situation and explain yourself to people who misunderstand you. The resurrected Christ is the answer to your situation because He is the only one who understands you perfectly. Do you want to know Him more?
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