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Have you noticed how selective our memories can be? You and I can remember the wrongs done to us forever, but so easily forget good things!
How do we begin to deal with the wrongs done to us? Let’s identify some of the more common ones:
Betrayal: When you are betrayed—particularly if you are betrayed by someone close to you, whom you trusted—that is a deep hurt. David expressed this in Psalm 55:12-14:
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.
This is why betrayal within families is so hurtful and so difficult to overcome. It comes from someone—a mate, a child, a sister, a brother, a parent—who we rightly expect to never betray us, and yet they do.
Broken Promises: Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
A “deferred hope” is a broken promise, and it makes us heart-sick.
Broken Confidences: When you share your heart with someone, and you expect them to keep your confidence, it can be devastating to discover that they have repeated it to others.
Proverbs 11:13: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”
False Accusations: Whether it’s a lie told about you by a jealous person, or a legal battle in a court of law, false accusations can run very deep, and build walls up so high they seem virtually impossible to bring down.
Abuse: Abuse comes in many forms and it is prevalent in our worlds.
These are just a few examples of the wrongs done to us. But here’s some good news:
Isaiah 54:17a: “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”
Psalm 9:9: “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”