When misunderstood and misjudged

WE should not be too surprised when we are misunderstood

and misjudged by others. There are a million reasons why these can

happen anytime, given the way we all are. But we should be ready to

react properly when these things happen to us. Truth is, if we know

how to, we can even take advantage of those occasions

  

            We have to be clear about the following point. That we get

misunderstood and misjudged by others does not give us the right to do

the same to them. That would be following the discredited law of

Talion. We should not respond to these situations simply on the

impulse of our gut reactions. It would just make things worse.

  

            We need to be calm and figure out what the most prudent

way to react is. Very often, we need to pause and pray, bring matters

in the presence of God, asking for his light and guidance. We have to

learn how to hold our horses. What we cannot understand and handle,

let’s leave them in the hands of God who knows what to do with

everything.

  

            In the meantime, let us console ourselves with the thought

that by being misunderstood and misjudged, we actually liken ourselves

to Christ who suffered the most extreme case of being misunderstood

and misjudged and who converted that predicament as our way of

salvation. With him, we also will have a way out of this predicament.

  

            That consideration would calm us down and help us avoid

experiencing unnecessary anguish and dangerous bitterness. It would

foster a spirit of sportsmanship such that setbacks like these would

only sharpen our desire to play better, so to speak, and not to waste

time brooding and entertaining bad thoughts and judgments.

  

            There will always be precious lessons for us to learn when

we are misunderstood and misjudged. Let’s never forget that if certain

bad things happen to us, it is because God at least allows them to

happen. And if they happen, it is because God wants to convey

something good, a saving message for us or that he wants us to derive

something beneficial to us.

   

            These occasions of being misunderstood and misjudged

actually give us precious insights about our weaknesses and the

weaknesses of others. They give a good picture of the fragile

condition that we all are in. But at the same time we would also know

that there is a way of handling this condition properly.

  

            We have to be quick to go to God asking for light. We

should avoid just getting stuck with our own devices. We are

completely helpless before certain mysterious things in our life. Only

in him can we have a good understanding of our situation, knowing why

God allows it to happen. Only in him can we repeat St. Paul’s words:

  

            “We are pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed,

but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not

destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so

that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Cor

4,8-10)

  

            Let’s remember that as St. Paul said: “God works all

things together for the good of those who love him, who are called

according to his purpose.” (Rom 8,28) So, the crucial thing to be and

to do is to be with Christ and to follow his will, no matter what.

  

            This should be our reaction whenever we are misunderstood

and misjudged. This is not hard to do. We just have to practice it

more often, because as they say, “practice makes perfect.”