Nougat 3

There is a sense in which Today’s Holy Nougat is hard for me, as it speaks directly to vulnerabilities I would rather ignore. But by God’s grace, the reflection will help me move forward in faith.

Mark 11:25 NIV

[25] And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Matthew 5:23-24 NIV

[23] “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, [24] leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

It’s All About Relationships

I confess, it is exceptionally hard to initiate reconciliation. If I’m wrong, I’m sometimes ‘wrong and strong’, as my good friend Val H used to say. And, when I’m right … Pride tries to take over, insisting that the other person needs to do right by me and apologise, repent even. Once in a while I’d see the shallowness of that stance and let it go.

But that’s the old me (please Jesus), I’ve put away spiritually immature (i.e., childish) things. By God’s grace, I’m moving on the upward way.

The thing is, it goes back to God’s grace. Understanding and accepting that it is by grace that we are saved, whether we like it or not, takes us to that deeper dimension of faith in Christ Jesus. For God’s grace has been ours since the original sin. God promised that redemption was coming. And that Redeemer would crush the heel of the serpent (Satan).

By covering Adam and Eve, God effectively sealed the promise that our shame would also be covered. Our iniquity pardoned. The covering involved blood being shed, animal’s blood to make the covering for the nakedness of broken relationship.

The covering came regardless of the first couple’s willingness to repent. What didn’t remain, was their access to Paradise. We can also have access to Paradise. When we accept that grace of God by faith, we are well on our way.

But just as how accepting God’s grace saves us, we ought to extend grace to others who’ve wronged us. I believe it’s those ‘little things’ that keeps us falling short of God’s glory. Because God’s desire is for good relationships among us all. God knows that Cain was not the only human for whom offense led to murderous actions. It still happens today.

Moreover, It’s not just murder that comes with judgement. If we harbour anger toward another, it comes with judgement attached (see Matthew 5:21-22). Judgement from God, that is. So, we’ve gotta walk away from the feelings of resentment that, in turn, stirs strife and sin.

But we can’t stop there. We also have to ensure that we’re not the reason someone else is angry. By that I mean, we should not intentionally be the source of someone’s offense toward us. It sounds so simple. But when we know we were hurtful, we’ve got to bite the bullet and sincerely apologise. We’ve got to say sorry. It can go a long way in restoring broken relationships.

I know that sometimes our action was a response to the other person’s offensiveness, but nevertheless, we have to take responsibility for our own action. As my mother used to say so often to me, Two wrongs don’t make a right.

It never does.

It makes a conflict.

It makes bloodshed (even when bloodless) that negates Jesus’ shed blood on our behalf.

That’s why we need to make right before we enter the presence of God. For it is as though we’re throwing that grace back in God’s face. And if we’re saved from brokenness by God’s grace, then we’re saying we want to return to brokenness. Is that really what we want?

Before we answer, let’s be honest enough to examine ourselves and see whether we’re in the wrong or holding on to resentment.

Then let’s also recall that that kind of behaviour kept the Israelites going in circles for forty years. Brokenness is like getting freed from Egypt, and opting for the wilderness wandering instead of moving toward the Land of Promise.

Siblings, let’s stop wandering. Let’s begin restoring relationships for our own sake.

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May all we seek be found in Christ