There are relationships to restore.
“All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other.”
2 Corinthians 5:18 MSG
God desires for us to live out our purpose in such a way that we see relationships and people as extremely valuable. So much of the Bible is teaching us about living at peace with one another. In a world that is so fractured, we can be the ones who bring harmony by God’s grace.
Have you ever wanted to assess your spiritual maturity? There is a way. It’s not assessed in our eloquence of language or our spiritual gifting and wisdom. The most accurate evaluation of our spiritual maturity is seen in our ability to love people.
Decide to be a peace maker.
There is a difference between a peace lover and a peaceable person and actually being a peace maker. Be someone who actively seeks to resolve conflict. Avoiding conflict can oftentimes cause more damage than good. In life, conflict will arise and it’s actually quite healthy. The damage is done when we leave it unresolved to fester into bitterness.
Being a peacemaker does not mean you let people walk over you. It’s taking a stand for what is right and true.
Taking advice from The Purpose Driven Life here are some practical ways to see restoration in a relationship:
- Talk to God before talking to the person. Offer your heart to God because thats where he works best.
- Take the initiative. Set aside who’s fault it is and actively seek out restoration. Organise a face to face as soon as possible. Don’t get onto social media or even a WhatsApp chat. Look the other person in the eye and look to restore that which is broken.
- Sympathise with how they are feeling. Use your ears more than your mouth.
- Take personal responsibility. There is always more than one side in any conflict. Approach the person with humility and a desire to restore.
- Talk to the problem don’t attack the person. How you say something is more important than what you say. I’ve learnt this the hard way and am still learning this today.
- Cooperate as much as possible. Perhaps it’s going to require you to make a compromise.
- Emphasise reconciliation and not resolution. It’s unrealistic to expect us to always agree on everything. Reconciliation places the emphasis on the relationship while resolution focuses on the issue. It’s not to say that we don’t strive to see a solution but harmony is at stake and we can keep the peace in the process.
Who do you need to reach out to in order to see restoration?
Don’t wait. Stop reading this and go fix what is broken. It’s worth it.
Summary:
Remember – Relationships are worth restoring.
Key Bible Verse – “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 NIV
Pray – Father, may I have the courage and resolve to be the one who takes the first step in bringing restoration.
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