Women's Devotional: For Women, by WomenSample

Being Misunderstood

Clara Barton, dubbed “the angel of the battlefield,” had a reputation for refusing to hold a grudge against anyone. As founder of the Red Cross, she was maligned. People labeled her leadership style as authoritarian and used Congress’s charter as leverage to force her to resign from her own organization. Once, a friend tried to get her to recall a cruel thing that had happened to her years before, but Clara claimed to have forgotten the incident. “Don’t you remember the wrong that was done you?” the friend hounded. Clara answered calmly, “No, I distinctly remember forgetting that.”

We’ve all been misunderstood or mistreated. No matter how hard we work at doing things right, there may be someone who doesn’t see things the way we do or who doesn’t like the way we do things. Maybe it’s a husband, child, co-worker, parent, or friend. They may not hear what we’re trying to tell them, see what we’re trying to show them or appreciate the intentions behind our actions. The philosopher Goethe said, “So long as you live and work, you will be misunderstood.” But Clara Barton’s philosophy is helpful: Choose to forget the insults and wrongs.

David seemed to live by this philosophy too. He didn’t deserve to be persecuted by King Saul. He had served the king well. Yet here we find the two men at odds in a desert oasis, meeting unexpectedly in the back of a cold, damp cave. With a single, well-placed thrust of his sword, David could have killed Saul. But he recognized that Saul was God’s anointed, so David chose to forget Saul’s wrongs and not lay a hand against him.

How do you respond when you’ve been misunderstood? Can you leave matters in God’s hands and choose to forget? Or will you take a bit of vengeance here and a slice of repayment there? Can you be content to wait for God to set things right on his timetable rather than yours?

The next time you feel misunderstood or mistreated, remember that you’re following in some pretty big footsteps. King David was persecuted for doing God’s bidding and did not retaliate when he was attacked. Jesus, the sinless God-man, was persecuted and died for our sins, yet he willingly forgave from the cross those who had tormented him. What will you do the next time you’re wronged?

Reflection

• In what ways have you been mistreated or misunderstood for doing the right thing?
• What opportunities have you had to retaliate? How can you respond with blessing instead?
• Who misunderstands or persecutes you? Pray that you will learn to forgive and bless those who hurt you.