God’s Power of Reconciliation
Have you ever made a mess with a relationship?
One that seems impossible to fix?
Or something happened beyond your control?
Or someone you love did you wrong?
Have you ever said the wrong thing or done the wrong thing,
or offended someone,
that seems far beyond what you meant or realized would happen?
Jesus is the healer
Jesus makes things new
Jesus can repair any breach, conquer any insurmountable mountain,
He can smooth out the rocky pitfalls that we sometimes make
intentionally or unintentionally
We are far from perfect, none of us is,
and even those who are as close to perfect as a human is supposed to be, those who are solid, pretty even-tempered, always nice and kind,
those people still can offend others or do things that hurt others
It is part of living on this earth
It is part of being close to people, working with people, living amongst people
Relationships get damaged
People get hurt
People hurt each other
And sometimes we make things worse than they have to be
Jesus is able to repair things
He can renovate a bad relationship
He can strengthen a good one
And His Holy Spirit can bring reconciliation when we find it impossible
Get out of the way
Repent of any unforgiveness, humble yourself
in case He asks you to reach out to someone you have had difficulties with
He does the work by giving us wisdom, showing us where we were wrong, where we need to forgive
Sometimes you will see an amazing effort by the Lord
and sometimes it won’t be as evident
That is because humans can block His work by their choices
Don’t choose your own way when it comes to reconciliation,
let God breathe new life into the relationship,
let Him repair the love or friendship or the hard feelings
He is able and willing
When it doesn’t happen
When someone’s heart is hardened, there is not much that can be done
At least do what He asks of you, so you can stand before the Lord
with clean hands and a pure heart
Do what He prompts you to do
Ask for forgiveness, apologize for your part and do so with a glad heart, putting aside pride and judgments
and forgiving from the bottom of your heart
Try as hard as you can to do what you know you should,
to do what He has given you wisdom about,
about how you contributed to the fracture that was made
Walking away may happen
Some things cannot be fixed
God even allowed divorce for the hardness of our hearts
Let the end not be because your heart grew hard and your love grew cold
Scriptural References:
And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Revelation 21:5
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isaiah 40:4
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Romans 12:18
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,
Thou shalt not kill;
and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
But I say unto you,
That whosoever is angry with his brother
without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:
and whosoever shall say to his brother,
Raca, shall be in danger of the council:
but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way;
first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him;
lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge,
and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence,
till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Matthew 5:21-26
And the Pharisees came to Him, and asked Him,
Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting Him.
And He answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
And they said,
Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
And Jesus answered and said unto them,
For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
Mark 10:2-5
So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you,
if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
Matthew 18:35
And when ye stand praying, forgive,
if ye have ought against any:
that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
But if ye do not forgive,
neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Mark 11:25-26
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Matthew 24:12