It's inevitable that at some point in life, we'll all feel disappointed by people close to us and that they've let us down. We may even go as far as to say we feel betrayed by a loved one.
Jesus understands these heartbreaking emotions better than we can ever imagine and so it's imperative that we take these feelings to the Throne of our compassionate Saviour and deal with them biblically.
I pray April's edition of my, "When I Feel..." series can be a blessing to our hearts today as we process the situation and navigate the choppy waters of, "When I Feel Let Down By Others." L x
"When I feel let down by others, when my spirit feels betrayed,Jesus understands these heartbreaking emotions better than we can ever imagine and so it's imperative that we take these feelings to the Throne of our compassionate Saviour and deal with them biblically.
I pray April's edition of my, "When I Feel..." series can be a blessing to our hearts today as we process the situation and navigate the choppy waters of, "When I Feel Let Down By Others." L x
When my acts of loyalty are cast aside and not repaid,
When my love is disregarded, when it’s treated with disdain,
Bring me Lord, before Your Throne to call upon Your righteous name.
May I part with hurt and sorrow as I place them in Your hands,
Knowing that I come before my Great High Priest, who understands.
No one comprehends more fully how betrayal breaks the heart.
Praying at the feet of Jesus is the greatest place to start.
May I seek the Bible’s wisdom on this matter full of grief.
Help me grow in understanding as Your comfort brings relief.
Guard my tongue from speaking harshly, hold my lips from grievous talk.
Help me not to spread the matter, keep me pure within my walk.
Give me grace as I surrender, grant me patience from Your Throne.
Seeking reconciliation, may I speak with them alone.
Help me go in gentleness with restoration in my mind.
Let there be no words of malice from my side, of any kind.
Help me keep my conduct blameless as I seek to clear the air.
Let my efforts unify the bond of peace and bring repair.
Whether they should choose to listen, may I know I’ve done my best.
Let this draw me close to Christ. In You alone, I find my rest."
Psalm 41:7-9
“All my enemies whisper together against me;
they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
he will never get up from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,
someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
has turned against me.”
Psalm 55:22
“Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.”
Matthew 5:23-24
“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Romans 12:18
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
Ephesians 4:3
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Heart Check
Do I feel grieved in my heart today by the pain of betrayal? Has someone close to me disappointed me and let me down? If so, have I brought this situation before God in prayer? Have I sought wisdom and counsel from God’s Word on this matter?
I’ve often heard my Pastor speak on the exhortation we receive in Matthew 5:23-24, which says to go and be reconciled with a brother or sister in Christ if there is a grievance between us.
Sometimes the other party may not even know they’ve upset us and this is why open and gentle communication is so important.
Often, when we’re upset by someone, the tendency can be to talk negatively about that person to others. If we’re not dealing with the situation in a Biblical way, we may air our grievances to other people and thereby inadvertently spread gossip or poison that person’s character in the mind of another.
This is why the Bible instructs us to go to that person privately and swiftly, in humility and love to seek reconciliation. If the person hears us, we have gained back our brother or sister in Christ. If they don’t hear us, then we are instructed to seek help from one or two others in the Church. Brethren who can be trusted to assist us in speaking once more with the person in a godly way.
If they still don’t hear us, the Bible tells us to treat that person as a non-believer. Just as with the non-believer, we are to continue to lovingly pray for them and have the desire for reconciliation in our heart towards them.
God can grant us peace in the meantime as we continue to extend agape love and pray for restoration to be brought about in God’s perfect time. The Lord knows our heart and sees our efforts.
If we’re hurting in this way today, may we bring it before our understanding God in prayer and ask His Holy Spirit to bring healing and restoration into that situation. May we do all we can to give no foothold to the enemy and seek unity for the glory and honour of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
