Building on this post, I try to expand on (Isaiah 6:9).
God is telling Isaiah that it is hopeless, but he is also calling on Isaiah to preach. God is assuming the burden to educate His people even though they will misperceive God's intentions. Intentions and perceptions get mixed up a lot in life. Good intentions can pave the road to destruction. But God so loved the world, that throughout history he ordained prophets to teach, and he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16).
There are three ideas concerning intentions and perceptions that I would like to discuss:
1. God's intentions are given through Jesus and the Bible. But since the beginning of time, these intentions have been misconstrued. People's perceptions of God's intentions will not always line up with Jesus and Bible.
2. Despite these mis-perceptions, we are called to preach and live righteously. We must go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41). We must forgive "seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:22). We must "turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39). We cannot quit just because no one understands or appreciates our intentions.
3. Building on number two, we must constantly evaluate our own perceptions and the others' perceptions concerning us, not only when it comes to spiritual matters, but also in our daily interactions. Only when we become self-aware and empathetic can we fully recognize the importance of our daily burden to spread the Gospel.
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