THE PAIN OF BEING MISREAD

THE PAIN OF BEING MISREAD

Isaiah 53:3
“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of sorrows, and familiar with pain.”

There is a peculiar pain that comes not from hatred, but from misunderstanding. To be misread is to be seen, yet not known, to speak with sincerity and be interpreted through suspicion.

#This pain cuts deeply because it often comes from those closest to you.

In African societies, reputation is communal. How you are perceived matters. When you are misread, your silence is interpreted as arrogance, your boundaries as pride, and your growth as rebellion. You are judged not by intention, but by assumption.

#The wound is not that people talk, but that they talk without seeking understanding.

Among the Igbo, it is said, a na-ama dike n’ogu, a na-ama onye iro n’ọnụ, a warrior is known in battle, but an enemy is often revealed by words. Being misread exposes the fragility of human judgment.

#People speak from limited knowledge, coloured by fear, envy, or unfamiliarity with change.

Jesus understood this pain. He was called a glutton, a blasphemer, a threat. His compassion was misread as weakness. His authority was misread as arrogance. His silence before His accusers was not defeat, but restraint. He chose purpose over self-defence.

In lived experience, being misread tempts you to overexplain. You want to correct every narrative, defend every action, and restore every misunderstanding.

Yet explanation can become a trap. Not every misunderstanding deserves your energy. Some perceptions are not errors to be corrected, but mirrors revealing the limits of others’ understanding.

There is a discipline in allowing God to be your interpreter. When you are misread, remain anchored in truth. Your consistency will eventually speak louder than clarification, because Integrity outlives misinterpretation.

Do not allow the pain of being misread to harden your heart. Let it deepen your compassion and sharpen your discernment.
Growth often requires the strength to be misunderstood without becoming bitter.

#Sometimes you are misread because people are reading from the wrong page.
Win@today