“I’m fine,” I said. “It hasn’t affected me. I’m going on with the call on my life.”
But my answer was nothing more than pride. I was extremely hurt but denied it, even to myself. I would spend hours trying to figure out how all this could happen to me. I was in shock, numb, and amazed. But I suppressed these thoughts and put on a strong front when in reality I was weak and deeply injured….
“God, please help me get out of this hurt and offense,” I pleaded. “It is too much for me to handle.”
This was exactly where the Lord wanted me — at the end of myself. Too often we try to do things in the strength of our souls. This does not cause us to grow spiritually. Instead, we become more susceptible to falling.
The first step to healing and freedom is to recognize you are hurt. Often pride does not want us to admit we are hurt and offended. Once I admitted my true condition, I sought the Lord and was open to His correction.
— John Bevere, The Bait of Satan, p. 146-147