What Happens When God, Answers by Evelyn Christenson 

Chapter 8:  When God Answers…Be Reconciled to Others

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Complete reconciliation to God is not possible without a willingness to be reconciled to others as well.  Why?  Because one of the clear commands in the Bible is that we be reconciled to others.  As long as we are not obeying God’s scriptural commands, we are sinning—and thus not reconciled to Him.  “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

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First John 2:9 clearly states, “The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.” (NASB)

Thus, being unwilling to be reconciled to other people is a sin, which must be confessed, repented of, forgiven, and turned from if we are to be reconciled back to God.

Do I need to restore any friendships?  Do I need to be reconciled to anyone? 

“Forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against any one; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”  Colossians 3:13.

Many years ago I was hired to work in a church as the Secretary.  I was excited about this opportunity, until I met the former secretary and realized that she would be working with me.  I tried my best to be happy and work together with her, but it was so hard. 

My boss would tell me to do something and I would do it, but she did not like it that he told me and not her.  She would be angry at me.  Our working relationship was very strained.  I did not even want to talk to her.

The day finally came that she retired.  I was so happy to have her gone, but God continued working in my heart that I needed to be reconciled to her.  I did not care if I was reconciled to her, but God kept prompting me to talk to her. 

Finally one day I decided that I should ask her to lunch and just talk about the past.  She joined me at Tony Romas and we enjoyed a great lunch together.        I was praying that if God wanted us reconciled that he would help break down the walls from the past.

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Isn’t it amazing how the admonition in Ephesians 4:31-32 really does work?  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander to put away from you, along with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tender-hearted forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” 

In addition to forgiving another secret of reconciliation is love. In our “What Happens When We Pray” seminars, we have practiced the scriptural reconciliation formula in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 for years, with remarkable results.  After forgiving someone, we ask God for all the love He wants us to have for that person, wait in prayer to feel it come, and then go home to confirm that new love.

God is so faithful when we are obedient to what he wants us to do.  Through our lunch together we forgave each other and then God reconciled us to each other.  It was so beautiful as we let go of the past and began a new fresh relationship together.

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PRAYER

Father, I’m sorry for living as if my broken relationship with people did not matter to You.  Please forgive me.  Help me to make reconciliation as far as it is possible for me to do.  I promise to pray for those who have despitefully used me.  Thank You that Jesus insisted on the reconciliation of members of His body, not so that we could become one, but because we are one.  And I promise to seek out the real body of Your Son, Jesus and practice the oneness He died to give us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.