A Prayer for When the Truth Hurts - Your Daily Prayer - January 6
Your Daily Prayer
Audio By Carbonatix
By Peyton Garland, Crosswalk.com
A Prayer for When the Truth Hurts
By Peyton Garland
Bible Reading:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)
Listen or Read Below:
There’s a reason we lie, whether it’s as simple as fibbing that we enjoyed the meal our spouse cooked for us or as destructive as hiding a marital affair. We lie because we have convinced ourselves that it saves pain, whether for us, the other party, or both. Lies promise comfort, but it’s a false sense of security we too easily lean into.
But there’s a reason lies are wrong. There’s a reason lying is one of the “seven deadly sins.” Lying is a double-edged sword, deceiving everyone involved. We are speaking falsehoods to a spouse, friend, boss, etc., while deceiving our souls with the ridiculous notion that lies won’t eventually be held to the light, that we won’t self-destruct and hurt others in our path. Both parties lose every time a lie enters the conversation. Deceit erodes trust that often can’t be recovered.
As Christians, we are a people called to forgive, but in this human body, forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetfulness. And in the name of protecting ourselves, we often close ourselves off to whoever broke our trust. When the deceit was heavy and harmful, it only makes sense that we step away, especially when the other person shows no signs of remorse, repentance, or change.
Unfortunately, it’s all too common that we readily displace our distrust of one person onto whoever comes along next. This new individual might share surface-level similarities with the one who hurt us, perhaps in physical looks, mannerisms, career choices, or even sense of style, yet they have done nothing to lose our trust. This is where the truth hurts. This is when truth becomes uncomfortable because truth wants us to trust again. It’s not asking us to trust the person who betrayed our hearts, but it’s asking us to love others with a love that is open and vulnerable.
It’s asking us to give another person a fair chance at being part of our lives. It’s a blind but rewarding faith that says, “Perhaps you’re meant to be a blessing in my life,” and allows someone to prove themselves.
This isn’t easy, especially if lies have ruined your perception of relationships of any kind. We humans are far more delicate than we often care to admit. But that’s why I recently shared with a friend that broken hearts have great value because only the priceless things shatter.
But the good people, the ones we can trust, defy the human tendency of fickleness and impatience so they can glue us back together piece by piece. And, as always, our God never lets broken things go to waste. In fact, He allows His light to shine through them the brightest.
I’m not asking you to throw caution to the wind, refuse the gift of discernment, or ignore red flags. But what I’m asking you to do is release the bitterness and allow your heart to be free of the distrust you place on others because of someone who hurt you in the past.
Instead, I’m asking you to trust in the goodness of God and the plan He has for you, the plan you must be fearless enough to step into. It’s one that, as Jeremiah promises, will forever bear fruit.
You owe it to yourself, others, and God to have open hands that are brave enough and willing to receive the blessings of a new friendship, a new chance at love, and so on. Allow God to mend what was torn, heal what was hurt, and restore all that was lost.
Let’s Pray:
Father, thank you for being a God we can trust. Your loving faithfulness has proven itself over and over. Grant us the grace to remember all the times you have healed our hurts and placed wonderful people in our lives as part of that healing journey.
May we never count out the blessing of friendship, marriage, and love you offer us, and may we be stewards of the relationships you have presented to us. Allow your discernment to guide us and your hope to fill our hearts and minds as we trust others when it’s hard.
In your holy Name, we pray, Amen.
Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Tiziana Nanni
Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.
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