It doesn’t take long to live life and realize that people can hurt you—sometimes deeply. The pain of betrayal, neglect, rejection, or even spiritual manipulation doesn’t just go away. Some of us have wounds that are still healing, or maybe haven’t even begun to heal yet. And often, those wounds don’t come from strangers—they come from people we trusted, people who claimed to follow Jesus too.
But don’t let what a person or a few people did to you affect the loving obedience with which you respond to what Jesus did for you. There is an enemy who would love nothing more than to take the actions of a broken human being and twist them into bitterness, distrust, and a hardened heart toward the very One who gave His life for you. And if we’re not careful, the hurt caused by people can become the lens through which we start to see God Himself. But Jesus didn’t hurt you. Jesus didn’t abandon you. He didn’t lie, manipulate, or break your trust. In fact, He did the opposite.
Philippians 2 verses 6 through 8 tell us that Jesus “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself… becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” That was for you. He took the punishment that should’ve been yours. He bore the weight of sin, the shame, the guilt, the loneliness—and He did it so that you could be free.
So when people hurt you, and you find yourself tempted to withdraw, shut down, or even turn away from God, pause and remember the cross. Remember the Savior who endured more pain, betrayal, and injustice than any of us ever will, and still chose love. Still chose obedience. Still chose you! That’s not to say we excuse sin. We should hold people accountable, set healthy boundaries, and protect one another from abuse or harm. But we must not let the sins of man push us away from the grace of God. To do that is to let the enemy win twice—first by the hurt, and second by the division it causes between your heart and the One who loves you most. There will always be people who fail you. But there is only One who never will. And He’s not asking you to trust people more—He’s asking you to trust Him completely. Keep worshiping. Keep loving. Keep serving. Keep obeying. Not because people deserve it—but because Jesus is always worthy. Even when others fall short, let your life be a response to the One who never will.
Minimizing me...making much of Jesus 