1 Chronicles 19:1-4 Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. David said, “I am going to show loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.” So David sent messengers to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death. But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!” So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.
Do you not see that others’ opinions of you are just that – opinions? If they do not know you, do not know your heart, do not take the time to see – truly see – you, then what they think, what they say, none of that matters. David’s heart was pure in this matter. He truly wanted to express condolences and give his assurance that he was an ally of Hanun. But, the men who surrounded Hanun were not pure of heart. They judged David’s actions based upon their own hearts – black hearts that would have done exactly what they were accusing David of doing. When you are judged by those who do not know you, they are judging out of the experience of their own lives, out of the state of their own hearts. Do not allow it to impede your actions, do not allow it to harm your self-confidence. If you are acting out of the assurance that you are receiving direction from me, nothing man says – nothing man thinks – none of that matters. Look to me, and only to me. And if you are confronted with something that rings true, pray about it. Seek me. Perhaps I am sending someone to wake you up to an error or something you need to address. Always consider the source of what you are presented with. If you are given information, if you are given a message about your behavior, your life, and that message comes from someone you respect, someone you know has a solid relationship with me, then bring it to me in prayer. Do not automatically dismiss it. I will confirm or not. Consider the source. Base how much you value what they say upon how much you respect how they live. And, do not allow what is said online to affect you. That world is the playground of your enemy.
Amanuensis 