If It’s Broken – Let God Fix It!

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!

Forgiveness

by Andrew Cromwell

There is an old Spanish story about a father and son who fought bitterly and became estranged. The son disappeared into the night and the father was left broken-hearted. He searched high and low for his son but could find him nowhere. Finally after more than a year and on the brink of giving up all hope, he placed an ad in a Madrid newspaper. “Paco”, the ad read, “this is your father, all is forgiven. Please meet me at the offices of this newspaper this Saturday at noon.” At the appointed time, the father arrived at the newspaper’s offices only to find 800 Pacos lined up down the street.

We all desperately need forgiveness and reconciliation. There is something deep inside of all of us that craves for someone to release us from the burdens we carry. We can’t help but walk through this life and say and do things that are hurtful to others. We made promises we didn’t keep. We opened our mouths when they should have stayed shut. We lashed out when we should have reached out. And now we owe.

We owe debts to our children, debts to our spouse, and debts to our friends and family. And these debts cannot be repaid like one pays the tab at a restaurant. We know that we can do more and try to make it up to the person, but more often than not, what is required is their forgiveness. We cannot force forgiveness, it is either given or withheld. It is not found in words alone, but in the invisible work of the heart.

We seem to be in the business of creating debts that require forgiveness. And, honestly, there really is little hope for us to be truly forgiven if we look to humanity alone to offer it. For humans are fickle creatures, often unwilling to forgive even if forgiveness is “deserved.” And, God forbid, what happens if we owe a debt to someone and they die before offering forgiveness to us? Can the debt ever be forgiven?

I am convinced there is no way to solve the problem unless we come into contact with the Divine. Only One who is truly higher than us can absolve us completely of our sin against each other. But what must we do so that Heaven will forgive us?

The answer is found in Jesus Christ. The One who is fully human and fully divine. The One who offers forgiveness to all who are willing to receive it. The great news is that His forgiveness is not based on performance, it is based on His love. He does not offer it to only a select few, but to all. There are no hoops to jump through, no religious rites to practice, no divine checkboxes to tick.

Forgiveness comes through relationship. John, one of the great authors of the New Testament, writes that “To as many as received Him [Jesus], to them he gave the right to be called children of God.” Receiving Jesus means putting Him in the driver’s seat of your life. It doesn’t mean that you live perfectly, it means that you are continually seeking His way rather than your way.

When we receive Him in this way, then He gives us “the right” to be God’s children. That means that we have His full acceptance and His full forgiveness. Just as the greatest Father you could ever imagine would always, always, always be ready to receive His children with open arms no matter what. So too, God is ready with open arms today for all those that receive Jesus.

Need forgiveness today? The first step is to find it in Christ.