Betrayal: Serving Judas

“I’m not new to betrayal and neither was Jesus. What you do with the betrayal makes all the difference.”

Who hasn’t experienced some type of betrayal in their life. I’m pretty sure you can think of a time you have felt betrayed. It’s a part of life. It’s a part of being a human and loving others. I experienced my first heartbreaking betrayal at the age of 5 and thereafter. I have loved people that have hurt me and I have also served others that have betrayed me. I also have been the one on the side of doing the betraying. When you look at the life of Jesus, you see a man who fully loved and accepted Judas, his betrayer. He knew Judas was going to betray him and yet he loved him, served him, and even, get this………washed his feet. Jesus washed Judas’s feet right before Judas left to betray Jesus! Now, I know what you are probably thinking. How was Jesus able to do that because surely if it was us, in Jesus’s sandals, it would be nearly impossible for us to do. We would want to pull out our sword like Peter did in the garden of Gethsemede. Trust me, I am quick to pull out my sword and most times, Jesus says “Vanessa, put your sword away”. That’s when I sigh deeply and say “ok, Lord”. I’m zealous and passionate for my Lord but I also have to love what he loves, right?! Sometimes, the Lord will put you in situations that you will be betrayed and times that you will be persecuted. We are to crucify our flesh pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Recently, the Lord came upon me very strongly and I had no choice but to get on my knees and pray. He told me how I was going to be betrayed by someone close to me and if I would chose to still serve them. He then showed me in a series of visions how Jesus chose to serve even when betrayal was creeping right around the corner. I remembered what the living word of God said about a servant not being above his/her master and that we would suffer the same. There was a purpose for Judas’s betrayal and there’s always a purpose when God allows us to be betrayed. Chose to serve and love when God asks you to. Please don’t go crazy with this and allow spiritual abuse or any abuse that the Lord did not tell you to endure, but you can be like Jesus when he calls you to be like him. So back to my story, I wept and finally said “ok Lord, I will do it!”. That sealed the deal. My yes allowed the Lord to take me in deeper to His agape love. I served those around me with everything I had, I laid down my life for them, and I learned to cover other’s sins in prayer as “love covers a multitude of sins”. I can’t say the betrayal didn’t come because it did. I had served with all my heart even after just getting out of the hospital from having a baby. The Lord had given me grace and strength to serve with all the might he had given me. Yet, after giving my all to the Lord and then to others, I was betrayed. See, betrayal in the hands of Satan is destruction but betrayal in the hands of the Potter is refinement. The Lord had to test me on another level of trust with others and I had to have another level of trust in my Lord to carry me through from betrayal in the church. When it was all said and done I walked out with honor and with victory . I went in and I gave it my all, knowing betrayal was knocking at my door. In the middle of it, I learned to cover the people’s sins and shortcomings in prayer. I had learned what the agape love of Jesus looked like and in return I was able to serve with agape love. I walked out betrayed but with agape love in my tool belt. I had earned a stripe on my spiritual uniform that could of only be given to me by the commander in chief, Jesus. I can remember in the past where I was betrayed and where I did not handle it as well as I should of, so I had to keep training. When you get betrayed, do you get bitter and act in dishonor or do you trust the Lord and allow him to mold you. We can’t afford to harden our hearts or hold back on serving with all our hearts because we have been hurt. On the contrary, every location and every person is an opportunity to serve like Jesus and walk with honor. This is a testing of our faith but the hurts and betrayals only teach us to solely depend on God and allow him to be our everything. He’s our protector and our vindicator. He’s the righteous judge and he is also the spirit of truth. You just need to trust him and let him be God. Betrayal comes in different ways that can be out of your hands and out of our control but what you can control is how you trust Jesus and how you allow him to use what the enemy meant for evil, for the good. You will be amazed how the Lord elevates you through testings like these. Your heart has to be right and you have to be able to love without restrictions. It’s then when the Commander says……”you have loved well and now I can trust you with more.”

My prayer for you is that you will see Jesus in every hard situation in your life. I pray his markings and fingerprint are evident in your life and that you love more than you feel you should. I pray that you will walk with honor even when you’ve been hurt. I pray for you to have the courage to love without restrictions with all your heart again and that you will serve with everything you have unto Jesus.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Betrayal is not losing, it’s an opportunity to elevate.