"So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, 'You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.'" Acts 11:2-3 (NIV)

Peter received criticism from his fellow Jewish believers when they heard he had gone to the Gentiles like the Lord had commanded him to. The others had not received the same Word that Peter had, so they had difficulty understanding why he went to them. Peter surely knew he would be criticized for sharing the Gospel with the Gentiles, but he didn't allow fear of what other would think to impede him from carrying out the Lord's Word.

It is not unthinkable to suffer criticism at the hands of fellow believers for following a Word God has given specifically to us. There may be times that God speaks a Word directly to us, a Word that others may not understand. When we receive a Word from God we can't allow fear of criticism from our fellow believers to stop us from fulfilling God's destiny for our lives! Peter received the honor of being the first one to introduce the Gospel to none Jewish people, but if he would have stopped to consider what other might think, he may have missed it. God has a great destiny for each of us, a special Word for our individual lives that most people won't understand, and in truth, we shouldn't expect them to. Know that God has a special Word for your life, a destiny He has called you to. Others may not understand it, but that ok, they're not the one God is calling. Follow God's Word and you will fulfill ALL He has prepared for you in this life!

"The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that."  

Proverbs 29:25 (MSG)