Relationships Are Worth Restoring
By Rick Warren
“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you . . . Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends” (Philippians 2:1-2 The Message).
Relationships are always worth restoring.
Life is all about learning how to love, and God wants us to value relationships and make every effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict.
In fact, the Bible tells us that God has given us the ministry of restoring relationships. For this reason a significant amount of the New Testament is devoted to teaching us how to get along with one another.
The apostle Paul taught that our ability to get along with others is a mark of spiritual maturity. Because Christ wants his family to be known for our love for each other, broken fellowship is a disgraceful testimony to unbelievers. This is why Paul was so concerned that the members of the church in Corinth were splitting into warring factions and even taking each other to court.
He wrote, “Shame on you! Surely there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow Christians” (1 Corinthians 6:5 GNT). He was shocked that no one in the church was mature enough to help resolve the conflict peaceably. In the same letter, he said, “I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You mustget along with each other” (1 Corinthians 1:10 The Message).
If we want God’s blessing on our lives and we want to be known as children of God, we must learn to be peacemakers. Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9 NLT).
Notice Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are the peace lovers,” because everyone loves peace. Neither did he say, “Blessed are the peaceable,” who seem to never be disturbed by anything. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who work for peace” — those who actively seek to resolve conflict.
Over the next few days, we’ll look at the steps necessary to resolve conflict. Peacemakers are rare because peacemaking is hard work. But because you were formed to be a part of God’s family, peacemaking is one of the most important skills you can develop!
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
What people do you know who are peacemakers? How would you describe their character?
What is one thing you could do today to work for peace in your relationships and in your community?
Why is peacemaking such hard work?
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When you’ve had all the “crazy” you can take…
Do you have a relationship that drives you crazy? Maybe it’s a spouse, sibling, parent, co-worker, or the crazy relative that really pushes your buttons.
Pastor Rick shows how you can turn crazy relationships into peaceful ones through his You Make Me Crazy Study Kit.
This 6-week video study includes a DVD and study guide—and helps you . . .
• Reconcile with the people who drive you crazy
• Start healing from past hurts caused by others
• Understand the emotions simmering beneath people’s words
• Turn conflict into cooperation
• Offer God’s immeasurable love even when it’s hard
The You Make Me Crazy Study Kit is our thank you for your gift to share the hope of Jesus Christ through Daily Hope! Request your copy today when you give below.
May it help you learn to love even the most difficult people in your life.
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
