Betrayal

Have you ever been betrayed? It hurts doesn't it? Maybe you experience pain from being the one who betrayed. In either case, the consequences are tremendous.

The most immediate effect of the betrayal of trust is in the emotional impact on the person betrayed. Generally speaking, the greater the trust that you had put in the other person and the greater the impact their betrayal has on you, then the greater the distress you will feel.

A number of different emotions may be felt upon realizing you have been betrayed. The most common is anger although, depending on the situation, you might even have fear about the loss of the relationship. You might feel repulsion at the lack of integrity of the other person.

"For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant: save me for Thy mercies' sake." Psalm 31:13,15,16

When you are betrayed by someone, it is highly likely that you will not easily trust them again. Trust is fragile and can be lost instantly or there is a hysteresis whereby a long-earned trust may be eroded and then suddenly lost.

When a person feels that they have been betrayed, they may well seek some form of justice, putting right (at least for them) what they feel has been wronged, including their sensibilities. It is important to remember that God will show mercy to you when you have someone betray you.

"Yea, mine own familiar friend, in who I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. BUT THOU, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them."

So don't get into these situations!! If you betray someone, it is often best to come clean. Accept responsibility for personal failure and personally apologize. Demonstrate how you will fix your own failure, and offer compensation.

The alternatives to these recovery actions may cost you much more.

I heard a preacher once say, "Someone you are trusting is trusting someone you would not."