What to Do When You’re NOT Supported

Sometimes the people you expect to support you the most turn out to be the quietest ones in the room — and that doesn't mean you're wrong. This episode is about staying obedient to what God said, even when the support you hoped for never shows up.

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Sometimes the people you thought would support you the most are the quietest ones in the room. And that doesn't mean that you're wrong. Today we're talking about what to do when you're not supported. Whatever it is God told you to do. Coming up next on Vision and Eve, it is written. Welcome back to Vision and E. It is Written. I am Janella Harper, and this podcast is about moving forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Whatever that forward motion looks like for you. Here on Vision and Eve, we talk about strategy, mindset, and spiritual insight because you need all three if you're going to move forward in what God has shown you. I want to say this up front because I say it every episode and I mean it every time. My lens is publishing and writing, because that's my assignment. But this word isn't just for authors, it's for anybody carrying an assignment. Nobody else can fully see it. This is a place for faith-based authors and everyday believers who want to grow, build, and move forward according to God's word. Let us begin with prayer. Lord, thank you for the vision you placed inside of us. Thank you for the things you've shown us even when other people don't understand them yet. Today I ask that you give us strength to stay obedient even when we feel alone in what you have called us to do. Help us to trust your direction more than public approval. Give us peace when the journey feels quiet and confidence to continue building what you have assigned us to do. In Jesus' precious and mighty name. Amen. And today we are talking about something that almost everybody experiences when they start following the vision that God has given them. We're talking about what to do when you're not supported. Because one of the hardest parts of walking in vision is realizing that everybody is not going to understand what God showed you. Some people just won't see it. Some people won't agree with it. Some people won't encourage it. And sometimes the people you thought would support you the most are the quietest ones in the room. And that part can be very difficult. Especially when you're in the early stages of building. Because when you're building something new, encouragement feels so very important. Support feels important. Understanding feels important. But one of the things you learn is this vision is often lonely in the beginning. And lonely does not mean that you're wrong. Sometimes lonely simply means it's new. And sometimes lonely means growing. Sometimes lonely can mean God is doing something that other people cannot see yet. I want to be clear here. This doesn't just apply to writers. If nobody's asking how your assignment is going, this is for you. Whatever you're building, this still applies. Scripture shows us this pattern again and again. God often shows the vision to the person responsible for carrying it, not the whole group, not the whole family, not the whole friend circle, just you. And that means sometimes you're walking forward while everyone else is still trying to understand. And that doesn't mean that something is wrong. Sometimes it actually means you are right on time. Nehemiah experienced this when he rebuilt the wall. And I keep coming back to Nehemiah on this podcast because his story fits almost anything that you're building. It doesn't matter what the wall is. People mocked him, they questioned him, tried to distract him, tried to stop him, but he kept on building. And in Nehemiah 6 and 3, he said, I'm doing a great work so that I cannot come down. In other words, I can't keep stopping to explain the vision to y'all. I have to stay focused on the work. Sometimes the best response to doubt is progress. Sometimes lack of support is not rejection. Sometimes it simply means other people are not at a place where they can see what God showed you. And that can feel very, very uncomfortable. Because naturally we want confirmation. We want encouragement and agreement, but sometimes the confirmation has to come from God first. Galatians 1 and 10 says, For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Obedience is not based on approval. Obedience is based on alignment. Sometimes doing what God told you to do means continuing, even when nobody claps, even when nobody comments, even when nobody asks about it, and when nobody understands. This applies to everyday life just as much as it applies to anything public facing. Some people are trying to grow spiritually, and nobody around them is growing the same way. Some people are trying to change habits, and the people around them are comfortable staying the same. Some people are trying to build something entirely new, and everyone around them is used to the old version of them. Growth can feel very lonely. Vision can feel very lonely. Obedience can feel very lonely. But lonely does not mean wrong. We have to stay the course. Hebrews 12 and 1 tells us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Your race, your assignment, your calling, not somebody else's version of what your calling should look like. And sometimes running your race means focusing forward even when support is limited. Support is a blessing, but it's not a requirement for obedience. You can appreciate support without depending on it. Because if obedience requires approval, then obedience becomes fragile. And vision cannot survive on fragile obedience, no matter what that vision is for. Sometimes God builds confidence in private before he builds recognition in public. Sometimes the early stages are quiet on purpose. Sometimes the small beginnings are part of the process. Zechariah 4 and 10 says, For who hath despised the day of small things? Small things still matter. Quiet progress still matters. Unnoticed obedience still matters, no matter what form it takes. And here's something important to remember. The same people who don't understand the beginning often understand the results later. But results take time, and obedience has to come before recognition. And this brings us to the takeaway. Sometimes we think support is what makes vision possible, but scripture shows us that obedience is what makes vision possible. Not everyone has to understand the vision that God gave to you, but you do have to obey it, whatever it looks like. Another seed planted. Water it well. And that is the takeaway. Lord, thank you for the vision you placed inside of us, even when no one fully understands it. Help us to stay faithful to what you have shown us. Give us strength to keep us moving forward in obedience and peace when the journey feels quiet. Help us trust your direction more than human approval and continue building what you have assigned us to do. In Jesus' precious and mighty name. Amen. Alright, guys, well, thank you for tuning in today. Today we talked about what to do when you feel unsupported and how obedience to God has to be stronger than the need for approval from people. We talked about staying focused on the work God gave you and continuing forward even when the support isn't always there yet, no matter what that work looks like. If this episode helped you, go ahead and subscribe, like, and share with somebody who might need this message. Because there are a lot of people sitting on vision, and sometimes all they need is an encouragement to move forward. And that's it. This is Janella Harper with Vision and Inc. It is written.