Most of us have experienced being misunderstood at some point in our lives. Honestly, it has happened to me more times than I can count and each time it is simply heartbreaking. This often looks like being misheard, mischaracterized, or misrepresented by family, friends, or even strangers.

Even worse than a single instance of being misunderstood is when we go through a whole season of misunderstanding in which the people around us either question or judge our motives or actions. You may have found yourself asking, How do I correct these misconceptions? Should I try to defend myself? Will that make me look guilty? How can I find joy if somebody believes something about me that isn’t true?

My guest today dug deep into this extensively in her own life and in God’s Word to bring us hope. Mary DeMuth is an author of over 40 books including her most recent book, The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible. She is also a podcaster, literary agent, artist, and speaker.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • The women of the Bible who were misunderstood
  • Why you don’t have to feel pressure to jump to defend yourself
  • How to find the right balance between speaking the truth and being loving through our words
  • The importance of learning to recover our curiosity

It was such an honor to have this conversation with Mary. I hope it’s a support to you this week!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

My Key Takeaways:

1) Seek out wisdom from God’s Word and from others. Being misunderstood is an incredibly difficult experience, but it is something that almost every person will go through at some point in their life. It’s valuable to seek out guidance from God’s Word and the wisdom of others who have walked the same path before us.

2) We should practice curiosity. In a time where we are often quick to judge others based on what they do or don’t say or post online, it’s more important than ever for us to recover the skill of curiosity. Let’s learn to ask questions first and seek to expand our perspective and understanding.

3) Avoid obsessively replaying the event in your head. We have a tendency to keep thinking about an incident afterward over and over. When we do this, we are giving the enemy a double victory. We not only experience the initial pain, but we relive that pain each time we think about it. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to learn from or fix the situation; however, we don’t have to live in our anxiety. We can find our security in Jesus and rest knowing who we are in Him.

4) Find the right balance between truth and love. When we have more love than truth in a relationship, we often are not honest with them. If we have all truth and no love, we can start to hurt other people. We need to strike the right balance between the two so that we incorporate truth and love when we speak. It’s okay if you don’t get the balance right off the bat; this is a lifelong endeavor and it takes time to get it right!

About Mary:

Mary DeMuth is a literary agent, podcaster, artist, speaker, and author of over 40 books including her most recent book, The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible. Mary is a storyteller at heart. She is passionate about the underdog, oppressed, and those without a voice. Mary loves to cook, garden, and run in her spare time. She lives in Texas with her husband of 29 years, Patrick, and has three adult children. Learn more at https://www.marydemuth.com/ —

 

 

 

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