Jesus
came to fulfill the law, and He exhorts us to love our neighbor, but to also love
and to pray for those who persecute us to come to God for salvation (Matthew
5:43-45). This often requires forgiveness and faith on our part.
He
offers us a reward for the perfection that comes from doing more than just
loving our family and friends, but by loving our adversaries as well (Matthew
5:46-48). They are people too, they make mistakes and they have their own pain from
their past haunting them too.
When
there is an offense between us and another person, God requires that we lay our
gift at the altar (Matthew 5:24), and go to this person in an effort to clarify
the issues and to make reparation for any offense on our part.
If
someone sins against us, Jesus advises us to go in private and to discuss the
fault, reminding us that if they listen to us, we mend our relationship (Matthew
18:15). He points out that God has requirements in this area as well.
God
knows that we humans do not communicate clearly and some of us are harder to connect
with than others. We misinterpret a look or the meaning of a word, and then we
adopt a negative attitude toward one another.
We
inadvertently leave out important information in what we say, which gives the
wrong impression. We exchange unkind words and actions that wound one another, and
we cannot take back or erase the effects of these hurtful confrontations and
behaviors.
If
they are truly His children, God will bring circumstances to bear in their life
to humble our offenders, and to cause them to be more conciliatory toward us. Once
we attempt to reconcile, however, we can then go back to the altar, regardless
of how the other person responds to our efforts.
When
we comprehend life from an eternal perspective, it is easier to adopt a humble
attitude. We offer friendship in place of their anger or despiteful use of us
(Matthew 5:44). They may or may not accept our offer.
When
we really understand the glory we will one day see in heaven, and how soon all
else will fade away when we do, we become much less concerned about how things
appear in the eyes of other people.
Prayer:
Father
God, help us not to allow our daily endeavors and distresses to affect our walk
with You. Our strained relationships, lack of financial assets, and our poor
physical health may cause us uncertainty, giving rise to fear and insecurity. Sometimes
these issues may require that we spend inordinate amounts of time, which we do
not have to spare, in order to restore equanimity to our life.
However,
it is what You call us to do. We offer to You our every breath, every action,
every thought and every word as an expression of our gratitude for what Jesus did
for us on Calvary’s cross, and for what You continue to do in our daily lives.
Help us to reconcile with our fellow humans, and to enjoy the freedom to
worship You with clean hands and a pure heart until You come again.
Thought
for the Day:
We
come to understand that God alone is our judge and that eternity will tell the
truth about the matter between us and others; therefore, we trust God to
provide for all of our needs, to lead us on the path of life, and to fill us
with the joy of His continual presence.
-
Acts 2:28
