FOCUS ON THE ASSIGNMENT
"When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” " Mark.3:21-22 NIV
One of the most painful experiences in life is to be misunderstood by those closest to you and then misrepresented by those who oppose you. Jesus, our Lord experienced it. In Mark 3:21, His own family heard about the extraordinary works He was doing and concluded that He was "out of His mind." Instead of protecting Him, they sought to take control of how he should go about his ministry. Those who should have understood Him best failed to recognize the divine purpose upon His life. They were too blind to see. This opened the floodgate for his opposers.
In Mark 3:22, the teachers of the law took the accusations a step further. They did not merely question His judgment; they questioned His character. Unable to deny His miracles, they claimed that He was possessed by Beelzebul and that He cast out demons by the power of Satan. Notice the progression. First, family members misunderstood Him. Then, religious leaders maligned Him. What began as misunderstanding became misrepresentation. Yet Jesus did not allow either criticism or false accusations to distract Him from His mission. He remained steadfast in His Father's purpose. He knew that human opinions could not alter divine destiny, Never!
When those closest to you fail to understand and appreciate your calling, criticize your convictions, or fail to stand by you in difficult times, others feel emboldened to also attack your integrity. This passage reminds us that faithfulness to God does not exempt us from misunderstanding, rejection, or false accusations. Sometimes those nearest to us may question our vision, and our purpose, while others may attack our motives. But, in all these, we know and have the inner conviction that our calling is validated by God, not by the approval of mankind. We therefore choose to be extremely grateful always to God for all things and in all things. The Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana, The Most Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu puts this succinctly, when he said: "Grateful people focus on what God is doing for them, not what others are doing against them."
When those you expect to protect you misunderstand or misrepresent you, remember that your worth and calling come from God, not from human election.
When family, and close associates gives up on you, do not give up on yourself. When others speak against you, remain anchored in God's truth and CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON YOUR ASSIGNMENT. Not everyone who knows your name, or is close to you understands your assignment. Stay faithful to God's calling, even when those closest to you fail to understand it. The same Jesus who was misunderstood by His family was later recognized as the Son of God and Savior of the world.
May the Lord continue to vindicate and validated us. May He help us to find our identity in Him, rather than in the approval of others. May He who had called us, strengthen our hearts to walk in His purpose with love, humility, and perseverance.
Amen.