How Are You Going to Handle It?
"For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily." – Jeremiah 20:8
How are you going to handle it?
Situations arise in life, and individuals must make decisions about how they will live and show up in the world. When God directs a person to take action, and the outcome does not align with expectations, a resolve must be made.
A person may do exactly what God instructed, speak what God directed, and go where God led, yet still experience unexpected outcomes. True commitment is revealed when circumstances do not unfold as anticipated.
Jeremiah discovered this firsthand. He spoke the word he was given, yet his obedience brought opposition, ridicule, rejection, and imprisonment. He had to make a decision: How was he going to handle it?
1. Slapped in the Face
Jeremiah's ministry was not met with applause. Instead, his message brought resistance. At one point, Pashhur struck Jeremiah and put him in the stocks because of his prophetic message.
Sometimes, speaking the truth that God has placed within us can feel like being slapped in the face. The slap may not always be physical. It can come mentally, emotionally, socially, or spiritually. It can come through rejection, criticism, ridicule, betrayal, gossip, or the ingratitude of people we tried to help.
When people talk behind our backs, mock us, reject our message, or misunderstand our intentions, we may begin to question whether we should stop teaching, writing, serving, creating, or fulfilling our purpose.
But the question remains: Why are you doing what you are doing?
If we are doing something only for recognition, praise, applause, results, or the opinions of others, opposition can cause us to quit. But when our motivation is obedience, rejection does not have the final word.
"Be still, and know that I AM God." – Psalm 46:10
The slap can become a wake-up call. It can force us to examine our intentions and motives. Am I doing this because I need people to validate me? Am I seeking applause? Am I looking for recognition? Or am I simply responding to what God has placed within me?
When the motive is pure, the mission can continue even when the response is not.
2. Shackled for a Day
Secondly, Jeremiah was shackled for a day. He was physically restrained and imprisoned because he spoke and did what he believed God had instructed him to do.
Not everyone operates at the same level of consciousness, understanding, or spiritual development. Because of this, people may attempt to place others in bondage when they do not understand their message, their assignment, or their convictions.
People may try to silence you. They may try to restrict you. They may attempt to put limitations around your vision, your voice, or your purpose. But what is temporary does not have to become permanent.
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." – Psalm 30:5
The season of restriction is not necessarily the destiny of the person being restricted. A difficult day does not mean a difficult life. A temporary setback does not mean the end of the assignment.
Even when progress is opposed and people attempt to shut us down, we must continue to listen, grow, and act according to the truth God has revealed to us. Not everyone will understand. Not everyone will agree. Not everyone will celebrate what we are called to do.
But our responsibility is not to obtain universal approval. Our responsibility is to remain faithful to the work of the soul's unfoldment, growth, and development.
3. Shut-Up Fire in the Bones
Thirdly, Jeremiah discovered that the word of God was like a fire shut up in his bones.
"His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." – Jeremiah 20:9
Jeremiah was frustrated. He had experienced persecution, rejection, and ridicule. He reached a point where he wanted to stop speaking. He wanted to keep the message to himself.
But he discovered something powerful: he could not keep the fire inside.
There are things placed within a person that must eventually be expressed. There is a zeal, a passion, a compassion, and an expectancy that refuses to remain silent. The fire demands expression.
Sometimes people want to stop teaching because they are not receiving accolades. They want to stop writing because nobody responded. They want to stop serving because someone was ungrateful. They want to stop pursuing their purpose because the journey became difficult.
But the work is not ultimately about applause. The work is about becoming who you were created to become and faithfully expressing what has been placed within you.
When there is a genuine fire within, it must be expressed. The message must come forth. The song must be sung. The book must be written. The lesson must be taught. The service must be rendered. The purpose must be pursued.
The fire in the bones reminds us that divine purpose is not always comfortable, but it can be deeply compelling. What God has placed within you may be stronger than the resistance you encounter around you.
Focus on the Assignment, Not the Audience
Fulfilling one's purpose is a personal requirement for the soul's unfoldment. One must learn to operate like an orchestra conductor who turns their back to the audience and focuses entirely on the music and the musicians.
The conductor does not stop the performance every few moments to ask the audience whether they approve. The focus remains on the music, the musicians, the timing, and the assignment.
There is a powerful lesson here for anyone pursuing a divine purpose. Stop allowing the audience to determine the quality of your obedience.
People may applaud today and criticize tomorrow. They may celebrate one season and reject the next. If your purpose depends on their approval, you will constantly be distracted.
But when you become clear about what has been placed within you, you can remain focused. You can continue the work even when nobody is watching. You can remain faithful even when nobody is applauding.
Your assignment is bigger than the audience's opinion.
So, How Are You Going to Handle It?
Life will present moments when obedience produces unexpected consequences. You may feel slapped in the face. You may feel shackled for a day. You may become frustrated and want to silence the fire within you.
When that happens, ask yourself: How am I going to handle it?
Will rejection make me abandon my purpose? Will temporary restriction convince me that I am permanently defeated? Will criticism cause me to bury the gift and fire that God has placed within me?
Or will I become more grounded, more discerning, and more committed to the work?
Jeremiah teaches us that even when the assignment becomes painful, the fire can remain alive. The opposition may be real, but so is the calling. The criticism may be loud, but so is the inner conviction.
Remain still enough to hear. Remain courageous enough to obey. Remain flexible enough to grow. And remain committed enough to allow the fire within you to find expression.
Do not let the slap stop you. Do not let the shackles define you. Do not bury the fire.
Keep moving forward. Keep listening. Keep growing. Keep expressing the highest and best that God has placed within you.
How Are You Going to Handle It?
1. Slapped in the Face
2. Shackled for a Day
3. Shut-Up Fire in the Bones
The question is not whether challenging situations will come. The question is: How are you going to handle it?
📖 Reflection: When rejection, criticism, or unexpected circumstances challenge your purpose, what is God asking you to remain faithful to?
💡 Action Step: Identify one thing you have been tempted to abandon because of criticism, disappointment, or lack of recognition. Spend time in stillness today and ask, “Is this something I am called to release, or is this a fire I am called to keep expressing?”
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