Mental Health WeekSample

In this fallen world, we experience pain in various ways. Often, it is small matters, such as an insult from a stranger or a hurtful comment on social media. In these cases, the pain is short and temporary, but what about when it is someone close to you? How do you react when someone you trust, a friend or relative, intentionally hurts you? This type of pain, betrayal, is the worst kind because it strikes at our most vulnerable places in life, and takes months or even years to fully heal. Psalm 55 gives one of the most profound descriptions of betrayal in Scripture. King David tells us a story of when he not only faced enemies in the city, but also an enemy he never expected. In verse 13, the term ‘close friend’ or ‘familiar’ describes someone with whom David shared his deepest trust and most personal thoughts—one of his most intimate relationships. Someone he trusted with his most profound thoughts, and broke that trust. If at any point in life you have been betrayed by somebody you held close or even valued their opinion, then you can relate to what David is feeling in this situation. He even admits that he desires to run away from his problems. Betrayal, however, does not just revoke an emotional response; the pain can affect your physical, mental, and spiritual health. The Christian life does not spare us from betrayal, but it shows us the path of healing in Christ. In this Psalm, David is brutally transparent in his feelings for his betrayers. When he is talking to God, he does not try to clean up his prayer or hide how he truly feels. He is modeling how we should be emotionally honest before God. When our mental health is under attack, we can be tempted to act like everything is fine—putting on a mask for everyone else while our lingering pain on the inside torments us. Too often, fear of others' opinions prevents us from addressing our pain. In this Psalm, David shows us that when we face the pain of betrayal, God invites us to lay it at His feet—because that is where true healing begins. David also demonstrates the importance of faith during our healing journey. If you read the Psalm carefully, you will notice that David's emotions are all over the place. One moment, he cries out to God in despair, while moments later, he declares, "But I call to God, and the Lord saves me" (v. 16). This pattern reveals that healing is rarely a linear process. Those who have experienced betrayal can attest. Some days, you feel strong, while other days the wound feels as fresh as it was in the beginning. Psalm 55 shows us that our faith does not mean we will not be tested; it shows us to keep running back to God in the middle of our chaos. When betrayal leaves us broken, Psalm 55 reminds us to run to the One who was betrayed for us and who will never betray us. Being betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, and abandoned by his disciples, Jesus knows betrayal better than anyone. Those he came to save and loves even crucified him. Jesus understands all aspects of your pain and endures it with you. As the soldiers crucified him, he prayed for his enemies with love. He utters the phrase "Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do". How powerful it is to know that as soldiers crucified him, he embodied his own teachings and prayed for his enemies with love. That same love he shows his enemies —how much greater is the love he has for you today and forever? When we feel all alone and in the darkest pain of our lives, Jesus meets us there so we can always know that we are not alone. When betrayed by those closest to you, will you run from the pain or run to the One who understands it best and will never betray you?