Matthew 5: 23: Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Brothers?
To Jesus the issue of treating our brothers with respect was powerful. It wasn't just a matter of not killing each other and not calling each other names. His outlook was one of resolving differences. Jesus is tough on those issues that divide unnecessarily. Surely, 99% of what divides us today can be resolved with humility and the right approach.
Deal With It.
In the verses before and behind this the issue is laid out. Don't attack or be angry with your brother unless it is super serious. Settle a matter quickly, even if the person has set themselves as an enemy against you. Deal with it.
Whoops!
Now take a really close look at those words. If your brother has something against you! Most of the time, it is more comfortable to look for the times I have something against someone else. What about when someone has something against me? That is much tougher. It takes laying down my pride and admitting my guilt. How many times has someone come to you in a spirit of being wrong and admitted their fault? Not often, I bet. How many times have you gone to others and said those hard words, “I was wrong.”
Work Notes:
The conflict at work was intense. These two just could not get along. Every meeting was full of asides and stares. What could break the personality impasse?
One of the parties stayed after a meeting. Their demeanor was serious. Slowly, they admitted the problem was real and asked a friend how to address it. Fortunately, they were Christian. The concept of grace was easily appealed to with them from the friend. Everything did not get better immediately. But it sure made the rest of the week more productive. Maybe the other person would eventually respond to the extension of grace.
ACT! Call someone who is testy with you. Offer them peace and acceptance.
PRAY! Wow, Father, You are really serious about Your family getting along. Surely, You created us to live together with peace as much as possible. Help me today to be a peaceful person and a peacemaker. Help me to move first toward peace with others. I love You, Father. I am glad You are always on my side for me to grow.
If we can pray for you regarding anything in your life, please let us know. Our greatest blessing is to bless others in prayer. . www.prayermetro.com Phil@prayermetro.com
Phil Larson, 508 Tumbleweed Dr., Yukon, Oklahoma 73099 405-388-8037
No comments:
Post a Comment