By Staff
We all have a utopian vision; that is, an idea of what could be really good this side of heaven.
For the sake of this discussion, let us assume that our relationship with God is a given. We have given our lives to Christ, and we are pursuing Christian maturity, evidenced by personal holiness and moral integrity.
With all that in place, the next question is relationships. How are we with people? Do we dread family gatherings because of potential conflicts? Are there people we avoid? Is there a church, a job, or any other situation we have left, feeling hurt, confused, and wishing anything but the best for the other people involved?
We want reconciliation, but refuse to admit wrong; we want peace, but refuse to be peacemakers. The underlying thought, though we would not normally say it, is, "If those people would get right, my life would be better."
We have no power to change others; that is God's work. But we can seek to change ourselves.
Our guidebook for every relationship is the Bible, whether it be our vertical relationship with God or our horizontal relationships with man. The supreme example of knowing right, doing right, and being right is Jesus Christ.
In answer to the question, "'Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 22:36-39).
Most of us grapple with loving God supremely to the point that we have not really considered seriously loving our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. Consequently, we have many things we should have done to and for others that have gone undone. We just run out of time and resources.
The next statement of Jesus that confronts us is in the gospel of John, chapter 13, verse 35: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." We must work at loving God by obeying His Word; we must work at loving each other.
Some may conclude, as soon as I get loving God down, I will go to work on loving people, when actually the process might be just the reverse. The apostle John declares in 1 John, chapter 4, verse 20, that "anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." Maybe the key to really loving God is loving the unlovely ones among us.
How do we get there? We all know Cain had conflict with his brother, Abel. Cain killed Abel. That did not solve Cain's problem.
We read of Jacob and Esau, two brothers in the Old Testament book of Genesis, chapters 25- 27 and following. Jacob took advantage of Esau and stole both his birthright and his blessing. There was such animosity between them that Jacob fled the country for over twenty years. When occasion brought him back to the land where Esau lived, Jacob worked hard to reconcile with Esau (Genesis, chapters 32-33). Jacob humbled himself before Esau, admitted wrong, and made restitution as much as possible. All these actions by Jacob made peace with Esau.
Jacob's sons followed the deceitful ways of their father. They wronged their brother, Joseph, by selling him into slavery (Genesis 37). Many years passed, but eventually the day of reckoning came. Joseph's brothers humbled themselves before Joseph and begged his forgiveness (Genesis 50:15-17). Their humility and Joseph's graciousness brought reconciliation and healing.
There is a biblical pattern: humility, confession, and forgiveness.
What are we waiting for . . . the other person to come to us? It is our move.
Revival or spiritual renewal is always marked by people who get right with God, fall in love with Jesus all over again, and immediately seek reconciliation, where possible, at any and all costs with others.
We have a list of those people we need to talk to in our head. We probably think of them every day.
Humility, confession, reconciliation . . . "let's roll!"