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Relationships
By Joyce McCartney-BGCO Women's Retreat Planning Team Member
My life would be so much easier if everyone was just like me. If they thought and acted like me, then we wouldn’t have any problems. Have you ever had that thought? I know I have. Relationships are one of the hardest areas to deal with in life. People sometimes just drive me crazy! If I am Resolved to live out my legacy in Christ, I need to see what the Bible says about dealing with other people.
Be careful what you ask for is a saying that I have learned to be true. A number of years ago I was earnestly seeking God. I was spending time in His Word and was really needing His guidance in my life. So one day I prayed Psalm 139:23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Almost immediately, a name popped into my mind. This was the name of a person in church who had said hurtful things. Since then I had avoided this person. I didn’t want to see him or talk to him. Every time his name came up in conversation, I felt this bitterness and anger in my heart. I had prayed about the situation and told God, “Okay God, I forgive him, because I know that is what I’m supposed to do, but I don’t want anything to do with him.” My conditional prayer just wasn’t cutting it, and the bitterness was still there.
So when his name came into my mind this time, I knew God was asking me to obey His instructions given in Matthew 5:23-24. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. I knew that I needed to go and be reconciled with this person in my life. With many tears, I did just that. God was teaching me that my relationships with others affect my relationship with Him. There are many Bible verses that talk about our relationships with others and how important they are. Jesus told His disciples they needed to keep forgiving others, over and over and over.
Paul talked about this issue of forgiveness in his letter to the church at Colosse. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13) That is a powerful statement - “forgive as the Lord forgave you”. How did He forgive us? By taking our sins on himself and dying on the cross. Why did He forgive? Because He wanted a relationship with us. For me, in this instance, the restoration of the relationship was important. I had let some careless words create bitterness in my life, and it had created this barrier between me and God.
My prayer for us today is from Ephesians, 4:2-3, Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
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Save the Date- 2018 BGCO Women's Retreat
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