A friend of mine is hurting right now. A trusted friend decided that he was better suited to be the pastor than he was and so took half his congregation in a church split and went down the street and started a church. He is hurting and questioning himself, his spouse is emotionally bleeding, his children are questioning why their friends no longer play with them.
Having been stabbed in the back a couple of times myself, I would vote for disloyalty from a trusted companion about as painful as it gets. In terms of bruising, this is like one of those deep tissue bruises that football players get. It can put you out of the game for awhile.
David says,
Ps 41:5-95 My enemies say of me in malice,"When will he die and his name perish?" 6 Whenever one comes to see me,he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;then he goes out and spreads it abroad.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me;they imagine the worst for me, saying, 8 "A vile disease has beset him;he will never get up from the place where he lies." 9 Even my close friend, whom I trusted,he who shared my bread,has lifted up his heel against me. NIV
When my enemies slander me, I can deal with it, but when my friend, the one who has dipped chips in the same bowl with me turns on me, it takes God to step in.
What do you think? Is disloyalty the most painful bruising? Tell me your stories. How do you survive when someone stabs you from behind? How do you keep from becoming cynical? How do you forgive? What are the long-term effects of disloyalty? How do you recover?
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