“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)
Preparing the Bride means followers of Jesus all, as the bride of Christ, are to grow in maturity and to be ready for his return. This includes rising above disappointments and even betrayals that we may experience from others.
People often disappoint us. Even best friends, close family members, colleagues with whom we’ve shared secret concerns — anyone can betray us and life is full of shocks, let downs and discouragements. That is not a surprise but how we respond makes us mature or makes us bitter.
Going beyond forgiveness
When someone lets us down, how can we respond in a way that places us above the disappointment? Do we forgive or do we obsess about the betrayal? We can be offended, resentful, bitter, depressed or angry. Or we can rise above.
Forgiveness is important but along with that, profoundly stronger than the offence, is to recognise we understand more, know more, are superior to any offence caused us. And when we sit above it, we realise we have reached a level of maturity and strength no set-back can damage. We have more wisdom than the offender, and nothing can damage that inner confidence, resilience and strength that we have acquired through our walk with GOD.
This is profound. For us. And for the offender. Whether the hurt was caused deliberately or whether it was an oversight doesn’t matter to us. We move on. We are free and beyond the circumstance. We are strong, resilient and liberated from the offence and from the circumstances that resulted.
“I rejoice in all circumstances” Paul of Tarsus writes. Beaten, battered, falsely accused, imprisoned — none of this really mattered to Paul. I suspect he knew, not only that GOD was sovereign: all-knowing and all-seeing and all-powerful, but also that freedom comes from our attitude to our circumstances. Rising above sentiments that entrap us in negativity, moving on from disappointment, are not just warm fuzzy sentiments of love and forgiveness toward others who may have wronged us; empowerment is fostered within us which moves us forward, above and beyond what has happened to us, and into the realm of maturity and refinement that cannot be shattered.
“He who overcomes….” Jesus says repeatedly in Revelations. We can choose to be Overcomers. Such choices will be key to our development, our effectiveness and ultimately, to our success in whatever business or employment or experience we face.
Will you allow GOD to elevate you through your painful experiences? Pain brings gain when we overcome as a result. If we want human intimacy or crave justice, we can be held back. But when we yearn for GOD’s supremacy in our lives and desire His victory, we overcome. As we meditate on the Word of GOD, we are built up. Scriptures such as “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” and “Whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely…. Think on these things” (Philippians 4) will carry us through dark times. Dark times will come but how we deal with them can make us strong Overcomers.
Hallelujah, Yeshua Jesus has made a way for us in all things. He is our Saviour, our Messiah, not only in our way to heaven, but in our walk on earth as well.
