Scriptures of the Day:
Psalm 55:22
“Leave your troubles with the Lord, and he will defend you; he never lets honest people be defeated.”
Psalm 41:9
“Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. “
Shame Rx:
Betrayal is a part of life in faithless people, but God can redeem the pain that betrayal brings.
Walking into the church, I avoided contact with those around me. They knew my husband was not with my children and I. They did not likely know the real reason, but speculation was thick in the air.
It did not matter how accurate their perception was. It was the shame of being betrayed that stung more than anything else. I was not enough. What would people think? Perhaps a better question is, “What would Jesus think?” This question would help us to put into a proper perspective the thoughts of man.
(c) Denise pass
The funny thing about betrayal is that the victim feels and takes the blame for the actions of the betrayer. Our worth is somehow tied to the lack of faithfulness of the other person. If we had just done or been something different, maybe they would have been faithful. Maybe not.
The act of betrayal accuses us of not being adequate or worthy as if there is no hope. Bearing the shame for another person’s actions doesn’t help us heal, though – it only imprisons us with their consequences. We are never to blame for other people’s choices. Each one has to own their own sins before a Holy God.
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Truth.
Betrayal is a part of life with faithless people, but God can redeem the pain that betrayal brings.
David knew well the pain of betrayal. His son, Absolom betrayed him, aided by David’s trusted advisor, Ahithophel, who also betrayed David, And then there is King Saul who betrayed him. But David also had a true friend, the son of Saul, Jonathan, who stood by David’s side when he ran for his life.
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Humility.
When we loathe the betrayal we experience in this world, we remember that we also betrayed our Savior. Still, He gives us more grace.
Grace.
When people betray us, God makes a way for us. Jesus chose to be betrayed so we could be saved.
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Lord, thank You for bearing all of our sin and blame. Help us to let go of false shame and heal us when others betray us. May we be faithful to You, our great and loving God.
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Join me for 31 Days of Shame Off You!
Need a safe place to talk about shame? Gals, join me at www.facebook.com/groups/shameoffyou. Everyone can also comment here on this website, Shame RX headquarters. 
Our shame comes from a place of hopelessness – like there is no escape from our shame. Thank God there is! God has a hope for us that never fails. Looking for hope? Not just the kind of hope that wishes for things, but a hope that is certain? Come find Hope Reinvented.
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