DECISIONS AND THE FEAR OF BEING MISUNDERSTOOD

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: Mar 4:24a. Take heed therefore how ye hear: Luk 8:18a. For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life. Deu 32:47a.  

Misunderstandings can be lethal. It is what befell Judas Iscariot the son of Simon after he fatally misunderstood Christ. Lot’s wife however chose to deliberately misunderstand the angel, and hence her stony demise.

But being misunderstood hurts. And perhaps for fear of being misunderstood a lot of people consciously choose to zip their lips for life. But that is the cowardly way and I shouldn’t advise anyone to take it. For no one really can be free in this life with their mouth shut. And depression loves a people who are afraid to talk.

The result is that such a life can stagnate. And one can hardly live to their full potential, if they are forever afraid of being misunderstood. However a life rooted in Christ should not have such a fear. A life in Christ is a peaceful life. The knowledge of truth sets one free, and ‘If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed’ (Joh 8:36). However for many they are still in a cage. And even worse no one recognizes they are in prison until the day they get out. But when they do no one ever forgets such a day.

But perhaps there are times when we ask to be misunderstood, especially when we choose to be vague. We know politicians love this game, and pseudo lovers, and many others whose professions bloom in darkness. I think it is why Jesus put a heavy accent on the matter of speaking plainly. It is why he taught it is better to stick always to yes or no monosyllables. A few texts render this plainly. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Mat 5:37. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Mat 12:36-37. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. Pro 10:19. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mat 11:15. 

Hearing takes great responsibility. What you hear. And how you hear. You are liable to misunderstand people if you don’t listen to them well. Equally one is liable to open themselves for misunderstanding if they are not plain. Other times we have chosen deliberately what we want to hear. Lovers, like lawyers, are notorious for asking leading questions, or shutting their ears when they choose to. And the results for such deliberate short sightedness are always far reaching.

Parables may be said to be vague – but where Jesus meant them to be taken that way, he did not hide that fact from his own disciples. The vagueness, I think, was actually a rebuke to the intended audience. We abhor calling a spade a spade, sometimes for political expediency. But no, we should speak plainly at all times and not necessarily in parables… It is God who takes a cowardly or reluctant person and makes them orators. He did with Moses. He did with Jonah. He did with Paul. What is your greatest fear? Is it holding you back? Allow God into your life and watch him transform you into a Moses, a Gideon, or an Esther. Don’t be satisfied with less but make your intentions clearly known by all.

It is always easier to say one heard incorrectly of course. But that is the cowardly route and not the courageous one. Rather say what you mean and mean what you say. And don’t forget that character is never quite far from what we mean. Don’t be in a haste to agree to things. And don’t feel ashamed for not understanding things quickly the first time. Ask again. Because, in the final analysis, the choice of what to hear, and how to hear it, can mean the choice between life or death, or between a blessing and a curse. God, help us know ourselves, so we may know you better, and everything else around us.