God’s Power in Betrayal

Betrayal. I’m not sure if there is any pain that cuts to the core of our hearts and punches us in the gut quite like betrayal. However, I’ve come to understand in a painful, difficult way that people are going to fail us. I do not mean this in a pessimistic way, but I mean this in a honest, authentic manner.

The person we think who love us the most is going to fail us.

The person we think will never leave us is going to fail us. 

The person we think who will always be there is going to fail us.

The person we think who is true to the their word is going to fail us. 

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the Passion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia with 50,000 of my college-aged brother and sisters in Christ. Beth Moore spoke briefly on this idea of betrayal, and her words still resonate with me. She said, “Expect in advance that you will be betrayed, but you will be the biggest betrayer to yourself… the enemy is after one thing and one thing alone, our faith.”

It has always brought me great comfort to know that Jesus and His disciples feel my pain. There is no pain on this Earth that Jesus hasn’t felt, and what a relief it is to know that we are never alone in our pain.

All throughout Paul’s letters we see over and over again that Paul is betrayed by many men. Yet in his suffering, while literally being chained like a criminal, he constantly emphasizes to not be ashamed of the Gospel. His suffered betrayal adds power to his witness and opens us opportunities for him to help his younger friend, Timothy. Paul’s man-created betrayals speak to the hope that belongs to all of us in Jesus Christ. 

Paul changes the story. He makes is less about him, and ALL about Jesus, even in the midst of his great sufferings.

The fact of the matter is, humans are going to hurt us. That’s indisputable. But the fact of the matter is, Jesus isn’t. He is fully human, and fully God; Jesus our friend to sinners will never betray us.

So what if the pain caused by another is actually preparation for one of God’s most beautiful blessings? 

What if we stop putting flawed humans on the level of our God and realize that humans are imperfect? 

And what if we stopped placing the emphasis on who hurts us, and place the emphasis on the one who redeems us?

Like Paul, let’s change the story. Let us embrace the betrayals of life, and praise God for f0r entrusting us with pain!

One day it will all make sense, but until then, and even then, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus.

All Glory be to our God,

Lindsey