Actions Can Be Misunderstood

I have been through a number of situations where the actions I took were misunderstood to the point that I was accused and treated as though I had done something wrong.

“⁹He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, ¹⁰said in a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And he sprang up and began walking. ¹¹And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, ‘The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!’” – Acts 14:9-11 (ESV)

Paul and Barnabas where preaching the Gospel and as all were hearing the words, this man who was healed believed. The people saw the actions of Paul and misunderstood them to be the actions of the gods they worshiped.

Paul was only doing the work God had tasked him with, and yet he was misunderstood to be a god himself. Paul and Barnabas ran into the crowd to only claim their human nature and that they preached the Word of God, yet the people refused to believe and went about their ceremonies and rituals.

“¹⁸Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.” – Acts 14:18 (ESV)

I have to understand that the Will of God will not be understood by all people. I can only do the work that God has tasked me with and continue to display Him in all that I do. There are going to be a vast majority of people that do not see what the that the work I do is for God. There are going to be plenty of people that misunderstand my actions. There are going to be those that hear my words and are not clear as to the meaning and reasons for them and place them with something they know causing them to misunderstand. Even when I may speak directly to the misunderstanding, they may still have difficulty believing.

My duty is simply to continue doing the work that God has given me and know that He will care for my well being just as He did for Paul.

What are your actions saying about your relationship with God? Have you been misunderstood? What should you do based on your relationship with God and the misunderstanding of those actions by those around you?