Why We Seek Reconciliation
“God always welcomes us with open arms and loves us, even when we are at our absolute worst.”
Romans 5:6-10 (ESV)
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Reflection
Just this past week, I experienced an exchange of miscommunications among a group of friends that left me frustrated and hurt.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m frustrated and hurt by someone, I have a natural desire to dish out attitude toward that individual. Perhaps it’s an unconscious coping strategy, but my instinctual thought process is wanting that person to experience how I felt as quickly as possible. My heart slowly hardens toward that individual.
Amidst the texting thread of miscommunications, I received a notification informing me I was assigned this devotional, “Why We Seek Reconciliation.” In that moment, I was reminded of what I wasn’t doing, what I needed to do, and what Jesus did for me. It begged the questions:
Who am I not to forgive someone?
Who am I to give attitude to another person?
Who am I to think I’m in the right?
At our absolute worst and as enemies of God, Jesus didn’t give us attitude. He didn’t seek revenge, nor did He wait until we figured it out. Instead, He died for us, knowing God’s love was and will always be for us.
I am a sinner in need of a Savior. You are a sinner in need of a Savior. We are all imperfect on this side of eternity, which means we’re all going to face messy situations that leave us feeling frustrated, hurt, and disrespected. In these moments, remember what Jesus did for us.
God always loves us and welcomes us with open arms, even when we are at our absolute worst. This is why we seek reconciliation.
Action Step
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me even at my worst. You always welcome me with open arms. Please give me the heart to quickly forgive those who hurt me. Thank you, God, for sending Your Son to die for me. In Your mighty name, amen.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Reflection
Just this past week, I experienced an exchange of miscommunications among a group of friends that left me frustrated and hurt.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m frustrated and hurt by someone, I have a natural desire to dish out attitude toward that individual. Perhaps it’s an unconscious coping strategy, but my instinctual thought process is wanting that person to experience how I felt as quickly as possible. My heart slowly hardens toward that individual.
Amidst the texting thread of miscommunications, I received a notification informing me I was assigned this devotional, “Why We Seek Reconciliation.” In that moment, I was reminded of what I wasn’t doing, what I needed to do, and what Jesus did for me. It begged the questions:
Who am I not to forgive someone?
Who am I to give attitude to another person?
Who am I to think I’m in the right?
At our absolute worst and as enemies of God, Jesus didn’t give us attitude. He didn’t seek revenge, nor did He wait until we figured it out. Instead, He died for us, knowing God’s love was and will always be for us.
I am a sinner in need of a Savior. You are a sinner in need of a Savior. We are all imperfect on this side of eternity, which means we’re all going to face messy situations that leave us feeling frustrated, hurt, and disrespected. In these moments, remember what Jesus did for us.
God always loves us and welcomes us with open arms, even when we are at our absolute worst. This is why we seek reconciliation.
Action Step
- Are you quick to forgive, or do you withhold forgiveness? Take a moment and ask yourself why that is.
- If you haven’t forgiven someone that you know you need to forgive, start working toward a path of reconciliation. Invite God on that path.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me even at my worst. You always welcome me with open arms. Please give me the heart to quickly forgive those who hurt me. Thank you, God, for sending Your Son to die for me. In Your mighty name, amen.
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