by Pastor Brad Carter
In previous parts we covered lessons I have been taught by the Holy Spirit in my journal time, which I call Garden Time. So far I have been shown that leading for affirmation robs you of courage, and we are accepted in the Beloved. I have also been challenged to count lessons, not losses and that success in God’s eyes is different than ours. In my tutoring sessions with the Holy Spirit, I now see that the many problems in our lives are not just there to be solved. But these experiences are there to help us out grow them. I have also learned to examine traditions and not just accept them as truth. In this final portion, I will continue to share lessons learned from my Garden Time. This lesson came from looking at betrayal in a new way.
The Tree Planted In The Soil Of Betrayal
The tree of “forgive them Lord” is always planted in the soil of betrayal. If you have lived longer than 45 minutes on this earth then you have probably experienced some level of betrayal. And if you have been in leadership, it only takes 45 seconds! Sometimes that betrayal can cut deep into our souls. The more intimate the relationship, the greater the hurt. This is one of the most challenging lessons I’ve ever learned from the Lord. Whenever I have experienced betrayal, He doesn’t just want to heal me from it, He wants to heal me through it.
A Shift In Perspective
The narrative surrounding betrayal is that the betrayer is the centerpiece of that story. But the Lord does work in mysterious ways. I’ve come to realize that because God doesn’t waste anything, He will also use those hurtful backstabbing blades as scalpels for our soul. When Jesus was on the cross and cried out “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do”, He wasn’t immune to the intense pain of His own suffering. He just realized that it wasn’t the greatest pain in that moment.
God Repurposes Pain
I’ve often prayed with intensity and fervor to obtain that level of selflessness that Jesus displayed on the cross. But the reality is, the pain of betrayal is repurposed for something far greater in my own being. The grave that was dug by those that hurt you, wasn’t for you, but rather for your ego. It’s the greatest tool you could ever ask for to shed the skin that isn’t a part of who you really are. So next time, and there will be a next time, that someone gives you the treatment of betrayal, recognize that the hurt is less of an injury and more of a surgery.
Privilege Over Pleasure
Maybe some of these lessons that I’ve learned recently with the Lord will help you. I’m not at all proclaiming to have “arrived” at any of these divine revelations. But I will say that this education I’m receiving at the tutoring of Holy Spirit is a great privilege even if it’s not always pleasurable.
More inspiring messages are available here:
For more from Pastor Brad Carter visit https://awakenwallace.ac/
Bible Study happens every Tuesday Live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1btg3/ at 10:30 AM and 7PM EST.
Watch us on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/@dr.johnnieblount
Powerful courses are available at Be the Word Kingdom Academy https.//btwacademy.thinkific.com