A little mockery, a little accusation, can actually do us good, because it reminds us not to take ourselves so seriously.

We’re all allowed to be imperfect.

We don’t have to win every argument or correct every rumour. And we can stop hurting ourselves over what people say about us.

Nothing stings quite like being slandered. Someone says something about you, and the worst part is that it’s often wrong on the very issue they’re accusing you of. So we get offended. We defend. We lie awake rehearsing the perfect reply. And underneath it all is a quiet question: why does this hurt so much? Maybe because we’ve worked so hard to look flawless that a single accusation feels like a crack in the glass.

Paul the Apostle knew this sting better than most. The Corinthians said he was unimpressive in person and only bold when he wrote letters from a safe distance. They mocked his speaking, questioned his credentials, and picked at his weaknesses. And how did Paul respond? He said it was a very small thing to be judged by them. He wasn’t precious about his image, because his worth never rested on their opinion.

Most of us really are trying to be better people, and that’s a good thing. But somewhere along the way, the effort can turn into performance. We choose the right clothes, the right words, the right image, not just to grow, but to make sure nobody sees where we’re still broken. So when someone slanders us, it doesn’t just hurt our feelings. It threatens the whole sense of self.

Here’s the good news: you’re allowed to be imperfect. You don’t have to win every argument or correct every rumour. A little mockery, a little accusation, can actually do us good, because it reminds us not to take ourselves so seriously. And here’s the challenge: stop performing. Put down the polish. Because your worth was never something you had to defend in the first place.

Here’s what holds all of this together: our identity as Christians was never our faultless conduct. If it were, we’d all be in trouble. Our identity is Christ. He is our image, and he is our mediator. A lawyer will hunt for the cleverest way to defend you. Jesus doesn’t need clever. When push comes to shove, he simply stands in your place. So you can stop defending yourself so hard, because the defence has already been taken care of.

Being human means accepting that we’re fragile. We will fail. We will have bad days. And on those days, the loudest accusation often comes from inside, a negative version of ourselves insisting that’s who we really are. Don’t believe it. The slander from outside and the slander from within lose their power in the same place: at the feet of the One who already stood in our stead. So be a little less precious, a little more honest, and let the mockery teach you what polish never could.

Or, as Oscar Wilde quipped: “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

Be blessed and take a break from rumours and slander.