But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. John 15:26
All important relationships in our lives are built on trust. But trusting others makes us vulnerable. For one who has had trust destroyed, there is a huge defense that rises up. Where our character, money, success, security or heart is involved, trust is even more important to the relationship. The level of trust actually establishes the level of the relationship. Betrayal and broken trust destroy relationships every day.
In 2 CorinthiansPaul gives us an example of how to handle the hurt that betrayal by those you trust can bring. We all want to be appreciated. We can easily become angry or hurt when we feel ignored, or in Paul’s case, scorned. Some Corinthians had not properly appreciated Paul’s worth but the problem is that they do not appreciate his work as an apostle because they were being persuaded by some men who had come into the church while he was away and began to say bad things about him, in order to get the members of the church in Corinth to lose faith in Paul’s teaching.
When others question our character, it always hurts. Paul does not attack those who attacked him but shares the truth about his ministry. He wants them to understand him better, to understand his ministry. He wanted them to know how servants of Christ must sometimes withstand such dishonor and indignity. He wanted them to respect his motives behind his actions—to know he had done all things with their best interests at heart. Fighting betrayal and hurt with the truth is the best answer. Anytime we shed the light of the truth of God on a situation the truth wins.
Violated trust causes us to feel we have been used or deceived resulting in hurt and anger. When life hurts us, if we are not careful we will hurt others. Hurt people do hurt people; sometimes not the ones that hurt them, but someone else they love when they displace their hurt. Betrayal, broken trust, hurt, it all comes from the weakness of man. There is only one answer for the weakness of man and that is the strength of Jesus Christ. The mercy and forgiveness He gave to us covers all the hurt and betrayal of all mankind. We can take Paul’s example and put it into practice when we are hurt or betrayed by others and respond in truth and love.
