The Guarded Heart vs Guarding Our HeartsSample

THE BETRAYED PARTS OF OUR HEART

Betrayal is brutal and one of the most painful human experiences. It occurs when another is loyal to oneself despite the impact on others. Even David expressed the pain of his best friend's betrayal in Psalm 41:9. Betrayal can cause deep bitterness due to the intensity of wounding and rejection despite the depth of the relational investment. The tension is the space between loyalty, investment, sacrifice, and the betrayal experience. It leaves one asking WHY? It often makes no sense and catches people off guard as they never saw it coming. The inability to find answers often adds to the heart's bitterness, guardedness, and hardening.

So, how do we guard our hearts from becoming bitter and hardened because of betrayal?

Firstly, we have to own what we put our absolute trust in. The Hebrew word for trust or belief is "Aman," which means to be firm and certain of its steadiness. Micah 7:5 warns us not to "trust" (Aman) anyone, not even our best friend or wife. In other words, don't place your Aman / trust on a human being; this should only belong to the Lord. Micah 7:7 affirms this mindset when stating that he will only look to the Lord for help. Even Jesus in John 2:24-25 states that he did not trust people because he knew about human nature. We are fallen, fickle, fragile, and fallible. To place absolute "trust" in another is unwise. YET, Jesus entrusted the mission of the church to all of us. Good thing it wasn't to just one of us, but all of us. One body part alone will fail, but the body made up of many parts is powerful.

Secondly, we must hold the space between calamity and calling with wisdom. (I have a reading plan called 'Between Calamity and Calling'; I encourage you to read if this is a space you are wrestling with.) Jesus wrestled with his Father when facing the most brutal experience of betrayal any person could have gone through. Wrestling with the Father is the key to rising despite coming face to face with a betrayer.

Betrayal is a painfully difficult space to process; the only way to do it well is with Jesus. He understands it better than anyone. I have not listed any reflective questions for today's plan. However, my encouragement is to bring those painful emotions to the foot of the cross and pour out your heart before Jesus. Let him carry the pain with you; we don't have to do this journey alone.

Prayer:

Jesus, I invite you into the betrayed spaces of my heart. I surrender revenge to you today and lay it at your feet. Thank you that I no longer need to carry the burden of bitterness alone; I chose to surrender daily to you as I journey these emotions with you. Thank you that your death on the cross carries my betrayal as much as those who have betrayed me. Amen.