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Swimming royalty Stephanie Rice is being hammered over a caption stating she resigned from her job after hearing from God.

On Instagram, the former Australian Olympian made a clear argument about how God directed the decision.

Critics weren’t interested and chose to flood her post with mockery instead.

Haters Gonna Hate

One user ironically accused Rice of being “tone deaf.” That person then added, “To just quit a high-paying job because ‘God told me so’ is so arrogant. You quit your job because you could.”

Another wrote, “This is so silly. Read the Bible because it sounds like you have been deceived.”

Facebook’s Christian-hating trolls were worse.

Someone commented, “It’s not God talking to you. It’s called Schizophrenia.”

In another example, someone left an essay-length comment, lecturing Rice about privilege and being a public figure. The person told Rice to choose her words more wisely because they could encourage people to be reckless.

At least two people wrote “oh, dear,” while others took Rice to task for allegedly making God her business partner. The pile-on included: “clearly lost the plot”, “you’re making it up. You need mental help”, “cooked”, “such crap”, and “Freak”.

Legacy media were just as glib. They appeared to ditch due diligence by skipping Rice’s 6 October video explaining how God had directed her to resign.

The Daily Mail, Nine, and News.com.au ignored that reel. They ran the criticisms and the Instagram carousel image Rice had posted on 13 October.

Titled “A Career Change,” her offending post, in part, read, “I was offered to become CEO, my dream position… but God asked me to resign. I obeyed.”

Of the three, The Daily Mail was the most dishonestly jarring. Their headline read: “Fears for Stephanie Rice as her followers think she has been brainwashed after moving to Dubai and finding God: ‘Poor girl’.”

Clear Reasoning

Ignored by The Daily Mail, Rice said in her two-part 6 October Instagram video explanation, “So how do I know that it was God who asked me to resign from my job and not the voice in my head?”

“1. He spoke through a story I’d already lived. 2. He confirmed it again while journaling. 3. He gave me a vision which I have held onto in this waiting season.”

Rice then recalled the story, stating, “Well, back in February before I resigned, I was on a prayer walk. God reminded me of a key decision I made when I was fourteen.

“I don’t think about this often, at all. So I know it was God, for starters.”

She said, “I was training with this specific swimming coach at the time that I never really gelled with. When I started with him as a thirteen-year-old, I was ranked sixth in Australia.”

Despite improvements and six gold medals at age 14, Rice recalled that she knew deep down she needed a new coach in order to go further.

Even then, she said that people thought she was crazy.

As Rice explained, “I just knew that if I wanted to achieve my goal, I had to make this change.”

She moved to the new coach and, under his leadership, broke records, earned an Order of Australia medal and became a celebrated three-time gold-winning Olympic swimmer.

“My life,” she said, “changed forever. I tell you that story because it was such a confirmation for me that even though this decision won’t make sense to many people, the only way to get me to my ultimate goal was to resign from my job.

“I’m 100% confident that I heard God correctly, and I know this is the start of an amazing testimony.”

Biblical Wisdom

Rice told Instagram followers she knew many were in a difficult season of waiting.

She encouraged them to remember the song, “Look at what the Lord can do.”

On Friday, Rice acknowledged the criticisms, saying that people don’t get it. She then responded with class by referencing James.

With her NLT Study Bible open, Rice said, “I’m reading James 1 today, and it’s talking all about wisdom. The reason I thought I’d share this is because so many people have seen that God asked me to resign from my job earlier this year.”

“There are a lot of people that have been commenting on my posts like ‘that’s stupid,’ and I’m like, you don’t get it.

“In James it says, ‘If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.’ It is like a declaration. He will answer that prayer, and I love that because it goes on in the commentary to explain that God’s wisdom goes beyond common sense.”

“Whether you can see it now or not, in time you can look back and say, ‘Thank you, Jesus. I’m so glad you made the call because I wouldn’t have come this way.’”

Rice then declared, “I love this about the Bible; I was so encouraged. I flip the page, and I’m reading the rest of James 1, and it says, ‘God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterwards, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.’”

The widely criticised Instagram post was part of her announcing that she had created a new account using her married name.

Rice wrote, “Feels like the perfect time to start a fresh account, in my new name, and with a new commitment to sharing the journey God is taking me on.

“I pray that my story would give you hope that God has the power to turn lives around, to restore what’s been broken and bless you above what you’ve asked, thought or even imagined.”

“Probably part crazy to be walking away from 140,000 people,” she added, “but honestly I’d rather start again knowing the people joining now want to be a part of the story God’s writing, not the one that’s already been written, even if that’s just a small amount.”

For more about Stephanie’s journey, the champion Australian swimmer recently shared her conversion story on Sabrina Peters’s podcast, The Healthy Christian.

Listen to that in full here.