“…what many of us fail to realize is that humiliation, rejection or betrayal comes as an opportunity for us to get to know who we truly are in God’s eyes.”
—Cierra W.
No one wants to be humiliated, rejected or betrayed. This can be one of the most painful experiences one can ever encounter. When it happens, you may feel alone, not worthy of love or respect, and that the world as you know it… is over. If you have ever been abandoned, deceived, cheated on, or slandered by someone you loved or trusted, then you know exactly how this feels.
But God…why?
God reveals very important lessons to us when our backs are up against the wall, or when we’ve hit rock bottom. That is when He gets our attention! We cry out for God to mend our broken hearts, to get rid of the pain of being the one who was cast away. However, what many of us fail to realize is that humiliation, rejection or betrayal comes as an opportunity for us to get to know who we truly are in God’s eyes. When we are placed in isolation or treated as an outcast, God is humbling and pruning us to be the best at what we are called to be.
Who am I and what is God trying to show me?
Moments like this gives us a chance to look within ourselves and evaluate our strengths and weaknesses. There are special things about all of us—talents, gifts, callings, etc. that we have that can be used as a powerful force against adversity. God can show us these things when we become vulnerable enough to seek His glory through painful experiences.
There are also times when we must face our own weaknesses. Are we living a life that truly honors God’s will? Are we doing things that are not pleasing to the will of God? God can use certain experiences to show us where we fall short and how important it is for us to change our ways.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:7-11 NIV
God uses our adversities to not only strengthen the good within us, but also to show the consequences of what we are doing wrong.
So you’re protecting me?
God allows certain things to happen so that we don’t fall. The pain from humiliation, rejection and betrayal often makes it seem like we have fallen, but it really serves as protection against harmful things yet seen. For example, that new job you desire so much is not of a good environment, so God used rejection to protect you from a job that would place you under stress or devalue your gifts. The person that you want to build a relationship with is not trustworthy, so God uses humiliation or betrayal to show you that your trust was misplaced, and to save you from further heartbreak. These situations have to hurt to wake us up!
What I should learn from this…
When we have been lied to, cheated or down-right humiliated by the people we love, the hurt and pain can be overwhelming. The thought of trusting someone that could turn their back on you is not something that we want to experience, yet it is something that can be used by God to strengthen our spiritual stature. People can deceive you, talk bad about you, and plot your downfall, but your faith in God is what will see you through. Oftentimes, when we’ve been betrayed or our confidence has been taken for granted, we feel like it’s the end of the world. But really it can be the beginning of a new and wonderful spiritual journey in getting to know more about God and His will for our lives. Bad times call for us to get right with God. If we surrender and seek the will of God through adversity, we can build a stronger relationship with Him.
