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Every human in
our world experiences moments of self-reflection, doubt and skepticism.
We search for answers that help us define God's role in our lives and
our relevance to the universe and beyond. These are not new questions.
The Urantia Book can be a valuable source of enlightenment and comfort
when a soul is faced with Life's Toughest Questions. Click on a question
you've struggled with and discover The Urantia Book's perspective on
some of life's most difficult and frequently-asked questions.
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Q: My
heart is broken by the wickedness and betrayals of my fellow beings,
how to heal? and furthermore, to love and trust them?
A: Thank you for
your note to us here
at Truthbook.com,
a website dedicated to the teachings of The
Urantia Book.
I hear a lot of sorrow in your note. I am
sorry to hear that you have experienced such problems in your
relationships with others. Regarding betrayal, The Urantia Book says
that "of all forms of evil, none are more destructive of personality
status than betrayal of trust and disloyalty to one's confiding
friends." So, it is little wonder that you have been so affected by
this loss of trust.
Jesus once spoke of this very
thing in this passage:
(149:6.12)
"Well did the
Prophet Jeremiah describe many mortals when he said: `You are near God
in the mouth but far from him in the heart.' And have you not also read
that direful warning of the prophet who said: `The priests thereof
teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. At the same
time they profess piety and proclaim that the Lord is with them.' Have
you not been well warned against those who `speak peace to their
neighbors when mischief is in their hearts,' those who `flatter with
the lips while the heart is given to double-dealing'? Of all the
sorrows of a trusting man, none is so terrible as to be `wounded in the
house of a trusted friend.'"
And of course, we
know that Jesus, too, experienced betrayal in his life from his trusted
apostle, Judas.
How
to heal from such a thing?
Learning to forgive is a vital part of living a happy life. Even when
we have every reason to nurse a grudge, or fan the flames of anger
against another, it is always better to practice forgiveness towards
those who have wronged us. And this
practice will bring healing to your soul. It is not always easy to
forgive, but as we do it, we will also be forgiven for our own
misdeeds. We all crave forgiveness when we have done wrong, so we must
also be willing to give it to others. Our heavenly Father is always
willing to forgive:
(146:2.4)
The Father in heaven has forgiven you even before
you have thought to ask him, but such forgiveness is not available in
your personal religious experience until such a time as you forgive
your fellow men. God's forgiveness in fact is not conditioned upon your
forgiving your fellows, but in experience it is exactly so conditioned.
And this fact of the synchrony of divine and human forgiveness was thus
recognized and linked together in the prayer which Jesus taught the
apostles.
Of course, that prayer is "The
Lord's Prayer,"
which may help you to come to that place
where you can forgive. It is worth the effort.
Jesus
was fond of using Scripture in his ministry. Here is a passage that he
used more than once. I hope it will comfort you:
(126:4.2)
"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the meek, to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to set the
spiritual prisoners free; to proclaim the year of God's favor and the
day of our God's reckoning; to comfort all mourners, to give them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy in the place of mourning, a song of
praise instead of the spirit of sorrow, that they may be called trees
of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, wherewith he may be
glorified.
As for loving and trusting
people who once betrayed you, that will be a process in which the
offending parties will have to earn your good graces again. You can
love and forgive by an act of the will, and because it is the right
thing to do, but learning to trust may take some time, and trust should
not be given until it has been earned. In the meantime, you can safely
place your trust in God, who is always faithful.
Thanks
again for writing to us. Please consider signing up for our free
service -Quote
of
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hope and inspiration each day from the matchless teachings of The
Urantia Book.
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