Why Do I Feel This Way?Sample

Betrayal is one of the toughest heartbreaks we can experience. King David went through this as one of his best friends joined a rebellion led by his own son, Absalom. In Psalm 55, you can feel the pain he's experiencing as he describes what's happening. On some level, we have also experienced this pain and heartbreak of betrayal. 

Here’s the simplest way to define betrayal: when someone violates the trust, loyalty, or well-being in a relationship. Betrayal means we know and trust the person betraying. We trusted them to keep their word and commitment, to operate with integrity, to help us and not harm us, and so on; but they did the opposite.

The problem is our culture tells us to handle betrayal mostly through victimhood or vengeance, yet both are chains to our souls. We’ve all met, or have been, the person still controlled by a betrayal in their past. They either play the victim or still seek vengeance, and they never move past that defining moment in their life.

So, how does the Gospel help us heal from betrayal in and around our life? 

Even Jesus, the Son of God, was betrayed by one of his friends, Judas. The reality is there’s no prevention from human betrayal, but Jesus shows God’s remedy when it happens through this story in John 13.

Here are the key takeaways we learn from Jesus: 

• All of us are culpable in betraying the people we love. 
• Jesus took a posture of redemption in betrayal rather than victimhood or vengeance. 
• Jesus leads us to live with courage, vulnerability, and grace regardless of human betrayal. 
• Jesus teaches us how to both acknowledge the hurt of betrayal, while still loving our betrayer.  

Now, we need to wrestle with these two questions and answer them honestly: 

• What betrayal is still controlling me?
      
  • Whatever it is, Jesus wants to heal you and bring freedom to it. He can give you the strength to forgive the Judas in your life.   
• Who have I betrayed?
      
  • Seek out repentance and reconciliation.