“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6
This week someone asked me a question that sounded simple, but it landed heavy:
“Are you the one writing the devotionals?” I answered honestly. Yes, I write them. I also told them the deeper truth: I’m not just writing words. I’m following a leading. God has been guiding me, shaping me, and stirring me to do it.
But after the conversation ended, the question kept echoing, like a tiny knock on the door of my confidence. Not because I didn’t know what God told me… but because it’s human to feel something when people look at your obedience with suspicion. That’s when the Spirit reminded me: people can doubt what God assigned, but their doubt is not your definition.
A pearl isn’t formed in a showroom. It’s formed in hidden places under pressure, layer by layer, in quiet consistency. That’s how callings often grow. Some people will only respect your assignment once it looks polished. They want the “shiny pearl,” but they don’t understand the process, the prayers, the tears, the learning, the obedience when nobody is looking. When God is building something in you, He often does it privately first, so you learn to trust His voice more than you crave their validation.
Nehemiah understood this kind of calling. God placed a burden on his heart long before anyone saw a wall rising. What began as quiet prayer and private grief became a public assignment to rebuild what had been broken for years. When Nehemiah stepped forward, questions and opposition followed quickly. Instead of defending himself or explaining his qualifications, he simply testified that the hand of his God was upon him. “The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build” (Nehemiah 2:20). Nehemiah kept building through doubt and resistance, trusting that obedience, not explanation, was what would complete the work.
Not everyone who questions you is doubting your "Why". Sometimes people are truly curious. Sometimes they’re cautious. Sometimes they’re projecting their own fear. But here’s the truth that steadies a trembling heart: God doesn’t need a committee to confirm what He already commanded. Your calling won’t always come with applause, sometimes it comes with raised eyebrows. The assignment is still the assignment, even when someone doesn’t understand it.
If God told you to write, you write. If God told you to build, you build. If God told you to serve, you serve. If God told you to speak, you speak. Because obedience is not a performance, it’s a yes.
When others doubt what God instructed you to do, don’t rush to defend yourself in the flesh. Let God refine your spirit in the quiet. Sometimes the doubt around you is simply the invitation to ask: Lord, am I staying humble? Am I staying faithful? Am I staying submitted to You, not to opinion? If the answer is yes, then keep going with gentleness, not bitterness. With clarity, not insecurity. With confidence that comes from prayer, not praise.
So when you are questioned, stay steady and answer with grace, not heat. You don’t have to “prove” your calling. You only have to walk in it. Check the fruit, not the noise. If God is using what you’re doing to encourage, heal, convict, strengthen, pay attention to the fruit. But most of all stay close to the Source. The loudest voice in your life must remain God’s voice, through Scripture, prayer, and wise counsel.
Where have you started shrinking because someone questioned what God has told you?
Is there an assignment you’ve been doing faithfully but privately doubting because of outside opinion? Today, choose this: I won’t abandon God’s instruction to satisfy human comfort.
Prayer
Lord, steady my heart when people question what You’ve called me to do. Keep me humble, pure, and obedient. Help me receive what is for my growth and release what is meant to distract me. Teach me to trust Your voice above every opinion, especially when my confidence feels tender. Strengthen my hands for the work, and guard my spirit from discouragement.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
If God gave you the assignment, He will also give you the strength to carry it, even when others don’t understand it yet.
