
Did someone hurt you or someone you love in the past? Did you trusted someone whom you thought would be there with you through whatever situation you were facing in your life, but that person turned their back on you? Did you invested all you have got in a relationship, but no matter how hard you have tried, your spouse became unfaithful, unkind, and uncaring? Did your own family, friends, or business associate deceived and abandoned you? Did your own children became unappreciative and uncaring? Did you invested all your labor in a job, but got nothing in return? Did your employer or boss disregarded your hard work and overlooked you for a possible salary advancement or promotion?
These questions are scenarios that you might have had to deal with at some point in your life. However, even though all may not apply to you, some may apply to you, or others that are not mentioned here. Despite this fact, whatever hurt or pain you have endured, or are enduring in your life, because of a person who has wronged you, you have to come to a place where you can forgive that person, so you can find peace in your soul, and be at peace with God. If you forgive others of whatever wrongs they have done to you, God will in turn forgive you. However, if you keep holding on to the past and do not forgive others, then God will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15).
Even though you might have had to deal with some form of betrayal in your life, do not let this cause you to become bitter and revengeful. If you are not careful, you will want to unleash your own vengeance and become vindictive. In light of this, you should understand that God wants you to leave all vengeance to Him. “Do not avenge others, because it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
I recently heard a story on TV where two girls were unpopular and became target of bullies in school. These two unpopular girls then became friends with each other. However, one of the girls devised a strategy to become friends with her opponents, and in the process disregarded her unpopular friend. Her friend felt betrayed and hurt, and so decided that she would make her pay for hurting her, and have her feel the way she felt.
Subsequently, to pay back her old friend for hurting her feelings, she created a fake profile of a boy on My Space. She then sent a friend’s request to her old friend, who accepted. Her old friend began to confide in this new boyfriend, by telling him things about all the other girls at school, including her former unpopular friend, as well as other stuff that she was facing in her life.
After five weeks, she got an email from the boy telling her that he was not interested in her anymore, and he was going to tell all the other girls at school what she had said about them. Consequently, this opened the door for cyber bullying. The other girls now turned against her and started harassing her on the internet. Her whole world had fallen apart, and she felt betrayed and hurt. As a result, she committed suicide by hanging herself.
After her death, everything began to unfold; the boy was fictitious and was created by her old unpopular friend. In addition, this plot had not only involved her old unpopular friend, but her mother, and another relative as well. Although they all did it to get back to her, in order for her to feel the pain that her betrayed unpopular friend felt; it went way further than that. It had contributed to her death. As a result, they got in trouble with the law for doing this, and everyone in town turned against them.
This incident teaches the importance of leaving all vengeance to God. No matter how bad someone has hurt you, allow God to fight your battle for you, instead of taking revenge into your own hands.
Letting go is not easy, but it’s a healing process for yourself. The Psalmist David was hurt when his own friend had betrayed him. This person had been his church brethren, and he trusted and confided in this person. At the same token, this person did not share David’s sentiment, but deceived him instead.
David expressed his deepest fears, anxiety, and betrayal in penning Psalms 55. His life was now in jeopardy, as the very person he trusted, was seeking to kill him. If this person was an enemy, then David could be more cautious and protected himself. However, this person whom he trusted, had more personal access to him.
It can be very painful when the person whom you trusted and thought would have been there for you, instead turned against you. Notwithstanding, you can seek the one person – Jesus, who will vindicate and deliver your soul in peace from past hurt and pain.
In light of this, you have a responsibility; you have to let go off past hurt and pain. Although David had been betrayed and hurt by his close friend, he did not become callous and bitter. Neither did he take revenge and matter into his own hands. He instead allowed God to vindicate him. He said, “As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me” (Psalms 55:16-18).
Like this:
Like Loading...
You must be logged in to post a comment.