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WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here.  To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________   Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today’s blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/2022_01_03_The_Sting_of_Betrayal.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, January 3, 2022, and this is Episode #1 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "The Sting of Betrayal." There is, perhaps, no emotional pain more piercing than the sting of betrayal. We can usually push through the pain of losing a loved one, losing a job, or meeting with failure. But when it comes to betrayal, it is a pill very hard to swallow. Why is this so?  The main reason is that betrayal is the violation of a sacred trust. And the violation of a sacred trust produces shock, anger, and a deep sense of loss and grief. But, unlike other losses in life, betrayal carries with it the knowledge that it did not have to happen. It most often happens because of one's deliberate, hurtful decision, usually resulting from selfishness.  Betrayal produces great conflict in a relationship. The person one trusted implicitly is now the person one seemingly cannot trust at all. When the betrayal occurs in marriage, its effects can be devastating.  Betrayal is a form of emotional abuse that can cause all kinds of physical and emotional symptoms. Some of these include sleeplessness, nightmares, anxiety, and self-doubt.  The Bible has a lot to say about betrayal. Indeed, Jesus experienced the ultimate betrayal when Judas Iscariot sold him to the enemy for thirty pieces of silver. So, how should we respond when we have been betrayed? Scripture assures us that one who betrays will not go unpunished unless he repents. There are both spiritual and natural consequences to betrayal. At the same time, the Bible commands us to forgive the person who betrayed us. Forgiveness is essential not only because God commands it, but also because forgiveness sets us free from the harmful effects of betrayal on our own minds and bodies. In Matthew 6: 14-15, the Word of God warns us that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven. This is a very serious matter. If you have been betrayed, God is calling you today to forgive the person who betrayed you. As ludicrous as it sounds, you may even need to forgive God for allowing the betrayal. Remember this; Whatever God allows in our lives, He allows for our ultimate good. Perhaps you have been the one who has betrayed. If so, you need to ask forgiveness of the person you betrayed. And then you need to do everything in your power to restore trust in your relationship.  While betrayal is a very serious matter, it does not have to mean the end of a relationship. Trust can be restored if both parties are willing to make a commitment to complete reconciliation. Consider, for example, Jesus and Peter. After Peter's betrayal, our Lord forgive him completely and entrusted him with a leadership position in the Church.    There are three important steps we can take when we've been betrayed: 1. Call the betrayal for what it is: a violation of your trust. 2. Forgive the person who betrayed you and, if possible, be reconciled. 3. Learn from the betrayal and move on. Finally,