Recently we were deeply betrayed by someone very close to us. As I have taken time to reflect on this issue, Father took me back to the first time I was ever betrayed. I was 11 years old and had a huge crush on a guy in my 6th grade class. He came over to my house one day to hang out and while he was there another girl from our class called him – at my house no less! How dare she? He talked briefly with her, hung up and said, “I have to go now.”

“Where are you going?” I demanded to know.

“I’m going to _____’s house,” he said as he flew out the front door.

He was going to leave my house and go to see the other girl.

Betrayed at the deepest level of my little girl heart, I cried all the rest of the day and into the night. Nothing could seem to touch my breaking heart. Eventually I did get over this hurt as other beaus came and went in my life and time back then healed.

Today, however, it is a much different story. There have been many times in my adult life when I have been deeply betrayed. For example, Rog’s infidelity and adultery. Thank God for Jesus and His wonderful healing that has come to my heart over this issue. This fall we will celebrate 53 years of a healed marriage. Each day grows sweeter than the one before! Experiencing Father’s love and giving it away to each other has taught us what true love is really all about.

There have been other betrayals of friends of the female kind over the years; one in particular that was especially hurtful. Again, I thank Jesus for His ability to come to me in these situations and as I forgive, He rewrites the ending of the story. Today each time Father brings this lady to mind, I can pray for her with a heart full of love and NO pain! I truly wish for the Father’s love to find her right where she is today.

Several years ago PITFH went through a very deep betrayal by another ministry. This experience literally took the breath out of us and caused us days and months of agony. The pain went so deep that it was very difficult to forgive the people involved. This time it wasn’t just one person, but several who participated in the betrayal. After much counseling and prayer ministry, we were able to forgive completely and we set out to move forward once again. Looking back over all these times, I can truly say that I see the progression of the depth of wounding AND I see how much it took to move us through each process to freedom.

More recently, the ministry and we personally, were involved in yet another betrayal by someone we highly respected and trusted at a very deep level. Yes, the pain came, was very real, but we immediately took it all to Father and placed it as His feet. In His infinite grace He began ministering to us right away. We saw His plan of action, implemented that plan and at the first confrontational meeting with this person we were able to issue forgiveness and then move right into the flow of the Holy Spirit to minister the Father’s love to this another of His children. We came out of that meeting knowing that we had delivered a powerful message to this person; Father loves you not because of what you have done, but because of who you are, His child.

The delivery of this message was an act of honor; honor first to Father and then honor to this person. If we live to do life long enough, we can expect to experience betrayal by others.   Betrayal is best conquered with honor. The quicker we can forgive and ask Father to help us honor the betrayer, the quicker the spirit of betrayal will go and with it, our pain. In each of my situations, healing has been required before I could move into honoring the betrayer(s).

How about you? Have your experienced a painful betrayal? Are you struggling with how to move forward and get through the pain and agony of your situation? I encourage you to engage in prayer ministry, receive the healing you need and let Jesus rewrite the ending of your story. Embracing and giving honor will then take you to the next level. Wanna go?

Without honoring other individuals in your life you lose influence. Your ability to lead is equal to the amount of honor you are willing to show others.  ~Rene Picota