by Tim Howard
There are many different kinds of hurts in life but a broken heart
stemming from a broken relationship is among the most painful.
Just talk to a young man who has been told by his girlfriend that she
doesn’t want to date him any longer and you will hear the pain in his
voice. Visit a mother of two toddlers who has just been told by her
husband that he wants a divorce. You will quickly see the devastating effects
of this soon to be broken relationship.
You and I live in a world of brokenness. Marriages are breaking
up at an unprecedented pace. Broken families are everywhere and our
society is experiencing long lasting ramifications as a result – much like the
aftershocks of an earthquake.
In the midst of this dismal climate there is hope and good news and
it’s found in the Bible – Luke chapter 4.
“God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good
news to the poor. Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight
to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free – to announce, “This is God’s
year to act!” MSG
Those words – spoken by Jesus – help us to understand the purpose for
which He came. Because of His life and death – our broken lives can be put back
together with His help.
All of us experience broken relationships at times and some of them
will never be restored – Not because reconciliation is impossible but because
one or both people are unwilling to work through it.
In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to take the first step if we are
experiencing a broken relationship. Many of us would rather wait for the other
person to make the first move rather than being intentional about things and
seeking a solution first.
Here’s some advice to follow if you desire reconciliation.
1. Go the person in
humility.
1 Peter 5:5 says “… dress yourselves in humility as you
relate to one another”, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
If you go in humility, God goes with you and can prepare the way for a
positive response.
2. Go to the person in private and meet face to face whenever
possible. Making a phone call, sending a text message or an e-mail may
seem easier but it will not produce the same results.
Matthew 18 confirms the importance of this approach by saying:
“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of
you. If he listens, you've made a friend.”
3. Don’t focus on what they have done to you, but keep your
comments focused on your part in the broken relationship. The process of
reconciliation will often be aborted if you stop repenting and start blaming
them.
4. Ask for their forgiveness and don’t be surprised if they ask
for forgiveness as well.
5. Let your words be few. The more you talk, the more
chance you have to sin. Check out Proverbs 10:19, When words are many, sin
is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
6. Last but not least – leave the results in God’s hands.
Romans 12:18 makes it clear that everyone does not want to be reconciled but
you need to do all you can do – to see this desire become a reality.
If you have a broken relationship – follow His advice and Let Him
fix it!
No comments:
Post a Comment