Healing Broken Relationships

SUB-THEME: Immanuel in the Community

TOPIC: Healing Broken Relationships

TEXTS: Matthew 5:9; Colossians 3:12–14

The Almighty Father, through Jesus Christ and in His infinite mercies, has given us fruitful lives and equipped us with widely different competencies, dispositions, and drives. As a result, we were never meant to reason, behave, or even arrive at the same conclusions in every area of life. Incidentally, our Father actually designed us to be like this in order to break the monotony of boredom in the Body of Christ. Within this Body, one should never cease to consider oneself as a part of the same Body, akin to how the legs or hands are seen as parts of a living human being. We are therefore always encouraged to possess the eternal conviction that all of us in the Church are only temporary residents on earth, on a pilgrimage, walking night and day in preparation for Christ’s Second Coming and for eternal life with Him.

As a result, we should not allow any person’s shortcomings, whether through omissions, commissions, or other failures, to cause us to lose our heavenly focus, harbour malice, or quarrel with a brother or sister. We are encouraged to forbear with everyone and live the Christ-like life daily, both in our homes, at our places of daily occupation, and everywhere we find ourselves, so that our positive character and disposition will draw others to Christ.

Undoubtedly, we should be reminded that hurts, disappointments, tribulations, and suffering are to be expected as part of our daily lives. However, our response to these should be to prayerfully consider them, preserve our fortitude, and continue on our way, rejoicing and praising God. Our daily character and disposition should always model that of a child of God.

Prayer:

Dear Father, may I daily draw closer to You by personally studying Your Word, praying consistently, and maintaining a pleasant and cheerful disposition. In every situation in which I may find myself, please help me to sustain a brotherly relationship with all my brethren in the family, community, and Church, so that no unforgiveness may be recorded against me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.