For the purpose of God in our lives to be fulfilled, certain relationships are placed strategically along our journey. Not every connection is meant to comfort us, some are meant to shape us.

If we pay close attention, we begin to see a pattern:
We learn perseverance through problems.
We learn forgiveness through betrayal.

God uses people both kind and difficult to mature us, refine our discernment, and move us toward our destiny.

Consider Jesus and Judas. When Jesus called Judas, He knew exactly who he was. When He entrusted him with the money, He already knew Judas was a traitor. Yet Judas was still chosen. Why? Because the purpose of God unfolding in Jesus life required certain relationships to be present, even painful ones.

We see this clearly in the moment when Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume. Judas, hiding behind a false concern for the poor, revealed his true motive… greed. That moment exposed what had always been in his heart (see the Gospel of John 12:1–6). Time doesn’t create character; it reveals it.

Here is a difficult truth many of us must face: some of the people you sacrifice the most for may be the first to betray you. God does not cause the betrayal, but He allows proximity long enough for motives to surface. This is not to harden your heart, but to sharpen your discernment, so you are not misled by appearances or good words.

But there is a responsibility on our part as well, we must pay attention. When God reveals a person’s true nature, wisdom calls us to acknowledge it rather than explain it away.

Those who shield you from every hardship do you no favors. But those who cause enough discomfort to push you toward God often become instruments (however flawed) in guiding you toward your destiny.

Look at Joseph.

Joseph’s rise did not happen in spite of betrayal, it happened through it.

A successful Joseph was shaped by:

1. A brother who lied about him

2. Brothers who sold him into slavery and indirectly into prison

3. A companion who forgot him when he needed remembrance the most

Yet without these painful chapters, Joseph would never have stood before Pharaoh, never saved nations from famine, and never fulfilled the dream God placed in him as a young man (see the Book of Genesis 37–50).

Here is the principle that changes perspective:
Painful relationships often become divine catalysts.

Having a Judas in your life does not mean you are cursed, it often means purpose is near. A Judas points to a cross. And a cross, though painful, always points toward resurrection.

In plain words: your Judas may be the very force that propels you into your destiny.

So do not rejoice in betrayal, but rejoice in what God can produce through it. Stay discerning. Stay humble. Stay close to God. What was meant to break you may be the very thing that positions you.

Grasp this truth, and it will change how you see people, pain, and purpose forever.

Remain blessed.