The Gift of Being Misunderstood

A wise man once told me, “If you live by the praises of men, you’ll die by their criticism.”

Here are a few of many thousands of criticisms that have come my way over the last several years. Yes, these are all real and seemingly ALL of them DEMANDED my immediate response to validate my actions, calling and ministry.

“You’re a Christian Nationalist. You serve the empire of America and not the Kingdom.”

“If you truly loved God’s heart for America, you would stop spending so much time, resources and energy in other countries instead of your own.”

“You only rescue kids in India because of your white savior complex!”

“Why do more big events? Why not feed starving children for a change?”

“You are a workaholic man. Take a break sometime or you’ll burn out!”

“All I see you do is hunt and go to sports games. Do you ever even do ministry?”

“You are a misogynist. You don’t ever empower your own wife for ministry!”

“You hire way too many women for important roles within your ministry. You need to let men take those jobs.”

“Don’t bring your faith into politics.”

“You need to stand up and condemn evil politicians more if you truly follow Jesus!”

“Jesus would love his neighbor by wearing a mask and staying inside!”

“If you truly have the calling to bring the Kingdom, then come to our town next week to stand against our evil mayor!”

“Racist much? All I see is white people everywhere.”

“Does your ministry believe in DEI? It sure looks like it from watching many of your events.”

“What a waste of money to bring your family on ministry trips!”

“Dude, you are gone way too much from your family. That can’t be healthy.”

“I heard you donate all your song royalties. That’s YOUR intellectual property for YOUR family's inheritance!”

“You preach prosperity gospel because you have real estate investments.”

(They missed the part where I co-owned a real estate company right out of college😆)

“You’re a NAR heretic (whatever that is) because you speak in tongues, believe in miracles, signs and wonders.”

“How could you ever do ministry with _____? They are full blown heretics, and that makes you a heretic!”

“Why don’t you do more ministry with _____? You need some of that anointing.”

“Stop being so religious and testing everything! Just go with the flow for once and let God do His thing!”

“Can you just get some decent clothes and cut your hair?”

“You are so materialistic with your shoes and clothes. Jesus would not approve.”

“If you don't speak out about ____ and their moral failings, then you stand with the abusers and God will judge you!”

“Why do you always go minister at big churches?”

“Why would you waste your time going to that small church with _____? Don’t cast your pearls before swine!”

If you truly want to follow Jesus and the call He has for your life, you will be misunderstood by many. Jesus lived this reality and died by it.

People will question your motives, your decision-making and even your integrity in the process.

If they did it to the Son of God, what makes you think they wont do it to you?

All of the Hebrew hall-of-famers were misunderstood: Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson and David. They refused to disengage and stayed focused on the prize in front of them.

The question is not if you will be misunderstood or slandered. The question is what will you do when that day comes?

Do you feel the need to vindicate and defend yourself to every random keyboard warrior on the interweb across the world?

If I wasted my time doing that every day, week, month and year, then I would literally get nothing done in this life.

And that my friends is the ultimate ploy of the enemy, and I see it taking out amazing believers every single day.

Satan knows you are called. He knows you are anointed for such a time as this to accomplish a specific task on the earth that no one else can accomplish. He cannot stop the calling, but he can thwart it by filling your life with constant chaos and confusion, and placing you in a posture where you are always on the defense.

But the Kingdom knows no retreat and knows no hesitation, it only knows ADVANCING. It requires that you kill the need to liked, loved and adored by the world. It demands your ultimate allegiance to the King.

At the end of your days, you will not face the social media mob peppering you with endless questions. You will face the ONE who created, formed and called you by name.

Carry your cross. Reject the constant desire for man's affirmation. Embrace the calling of being misunderstood.

Choose wisely. Follow Jesus. Fear the Lord above everything else.

Your life and calling depend on it.

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 3:14