Candace Cameron Bure, seen in an April photo, explained in a recent podcast how God brought her encouragement after she received devastating criticism from strangers. (Brian Stukes / Getty Images)
By Michael Schwarz August 21, 2026 at 5:12pm
An exceptionally wise member of The Greatest Generation once told me that we spend our entire lives trying to recover from our childhoods. Indeed, hurtful remarks from thoughtless children stay with us long after our youthful days have passed.
Now, in the age of social media, online trolls behave like thoughtless children. What those trolls intend as a weapon designed to cause their victims misery, however, God may use to spread joy.
For instance, in a compilation of past podcast episodes posted earlier this month to YouTube, veteran actress and prominent Christian Candace Cameron Bure, host of “The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast,” grew emotional while recollecting how God turned the pain she felt from repeated online insults into something beautiful.
“I get a lot of criticism for my voice,” Bure said in an episode featuring Christian author Bianca Juarez Olthoff.
The 50-year-old actress, best known for her role as D.J. Tanner on the sitcom “Full House” (1987-1995) before carving out an impressive career as the star of dozens of Christmas movies, first on Hallmark and later on Great American Family, then reached for a tissue.
For several seconds, Bure appeared choked up. She used the tissue to dab her eyes as they filled with tears.
“People always comment how annoying my voice is,” the actress finally continued.
Do you support Candace Cameron Bure’s efforts to reach others with God’s Word?
Olthoff sounded incredulous at people’s cruelty, but Bure assured her that it happens “all the time.”
“‘Oh, I turned off my TV cuz her voice is so annoying,’” Bure added, mimicking the online trolls. “It’s a lot, and it’s the one criticism I constantly hear, is my voice.”
God heard the criticisms too. And He decided to ease her pain.
“I started reading the Bible on my socials,” Bure said, “just because while I’m doing my daily reading, whatever is speaking to me — I just want to share that, so I often, on the story part of my Instagram, read the Bible, just a few verses, maybe a paragraph.”
Then, something wonderful happened.
“I’ve never had more people say to me, ‘I love to hear you read the Bible. You make the Bible come alive for me. Will you keep reading the Bible, please? I love the sound of your voice,’” she said.
Again, the actress grew emotional.
“So it feels so redemptive,” she added, “that, like, God’s using the very thing that glorifies Him and the thing that’s brought me pain.”
Moments later, Bure explained why those memories brought her to tears.
“People like the sound of my voice — when I read the Bible,” she marveled. “So I’m like, ‘This is amazing!’ And then I’m sitting here right now, and we’re on a podcast, and most of you are listening to me, so I’m crying, because I just got really self-conscious of my voice, because that’s what you’re listening to.”
“But I have a podcast,” she continued. “And I’m — we’re sharing Jesus, and that’s what my heart is; my heart is just to bring people one step closer to Jesus, and that’s what this whole podcast is for.”
Readers may watch the heartwarming moment in the YouTube video below. The relevant segment began at the 33:37 mark.
No doubt many Christians can identify with Bure and the pain she felt. After all, the unkindness we experience tends to haunt us far longer than it should.
We will have learned the full lesson God intended for us, however, when we begin to see our own natures reflected not in Bure’s pain but in the online trolls’ behavior. If we pray for God to purify our hearts and keep us from hurting others, He will answer.
Meanwhile, we may join Bure in marveling at how God turns even thoughtless cruelty to such great and good ends.
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Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.
