THE LOST ART OF RELATIONSHIP
Resolve to reconcile.
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:18–19)
Resolving to reconcile can strengthen a relationship even through the diffi- culty. Jesus came to reconcile us to God. He asks us to reconcile with God through faith. Reconciliation with God also means that we will be able to reconcile with each other. Our salvation brings a hope that does not disappoint. We can have hope that our relationships can see the same freedom and wholeness that we now enjoy because of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” In prayer, express your desire to restore the relationship and commit your plans to God. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in what steps to take, whether it means writing a letter, making a phone call, stopping by the person’s house, or whatever you feel is necessary. Maybe it is only continuing to pray for them until the time is right for face-to-face interaction. He will guide you.
Hold on to joy.
“Don’t copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2)
The restoration process is not easy. It can take a very long time. In fact, in my own life, there is one relationship that comes to mind that has been broken for years. I have taken steps to reconcile but to no avail. However, I maintain the hope that one day I will be able to stand in front of this person and work toward the restoration and healing of this relationship.
We can rejoice in this difficulty because we are learning something in the process. We are learning something about ourselves, how to avoid pitfalls in other relationships, and potentially, how to humble ourselves to make peace.
Commit to peace.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Col. 3:15)