Fear - Part 2 ... and Reconciliation

When two people love the Lord, it is reassuring to know that He intercedes on their behalf.  The Spirit is interceding (because that's what He does!), and Jesus is our Mediator (because that's who He is!)

I had a sense that I was to cut myself off for a time.  But a caution came against staying too long when I read, "Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment." (Pr. 18:1)


The Spirit of the Lord prompted me to begin praying (intentionally) for reconciliation.  "That our hearts may be truly reconciled - to one another, and to You."  I pictured two small hearts (hers and mine), side by side - but not touching, with a larger heart above the two of them.  The smaller hearts are interrelated to one another, because God's word says, "Love one another, for love is from God." (1John 4:7-11).

And each heart is related, independently, to God.  In Christ, the Holy Spirit is pouring out into our hearts the love required to complete the ministry of reconciliation.  "And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Rom. 5:5)

"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we beg you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God."  ~2Corinthians 5:18-20

At any point in time, she or I can get in the way of the work that God would do in us.  And what kind of ambassadors would we be?   I can hear Paul pleading with the women in Philippi, "Urge them to get along!  In fact, help them..."  (Phil. 3:2-3, paraphrase)

Reconciliation means: restoration, exchange - to change from a state of enmity (or, hostility) to a state of friendship.  That is His desire for us when we are in conflict with one another.  "They will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another." (John 13:35)  We can't be ambassadors for Christ if we are enemies of one another.

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his own opinion."  (Pr. 18:2)

Am I taking the time to understand the other side of the argument, or the issue?  And can I trust the Lord to do the work in my friend that needs to be done in her - just as He's doing it in me?  Can I accept her for who she is, understanding the way that she's wired?  Now, if she's hurt me, I'm called to bring that to her attention - in love (assuming she doesn't already know.)  But, once that's been done, I leave it in the Lord's hands, asking Him to examine my own heart and its motives, too.  "Create in my a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me." (Ps. 51:10)

And what if she's not a believer?  Well... go back to Romans 5.

"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope..." (vv. 3-4)  Ugh!  But, you know the rest... "And hope does not disappoint..."  Why?  Because when the Holy Spirit is pouring Himself out into your heart, He is able to comfort and to heal.  His love is abundant.  If you'll let it, that love will be an over-flowing, spilling-and-splashing kind of love.  That's the kind of love that affects others... for His glory.

Lord, help me to be faithful.

The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict, Third Edition By Ken Sande / Baker Experience the healing power of biblical peacemaking as you learn to apply scriptural principles to conflict in the world around you. Every conflict is an opportunity! Gain practical guidance for resolving all types of conflict and hope for relationships you thought were unsalvageable.