(1 Thessalonians 3:12)
One of the common prayer requests I see daily are
requests for God to reconcile family members whose relationship has been
broken for a myriad of reasons. One of our tests of spiritual maturity is
the ability to forgive, pray for, and love someone who has wronged us. It
is especially difficult when that someone is part of our family. I am going to
challenge you today to exhibit Christ-like love this Christmas as you share
this blessed time of year with family members. Regardless of who is at
fault, who is wrong, the circumstances involved, my challenge to you this
Christmas is to make an attempt to reconcile that broken relationship. I
realize in many cases this is going to be a very difficult task, but it is
what God wants you to do, and He will give you the strength and courage to
make the effort.
Let me say up front, you are not responsible for the actions of another,
only your own. You cannot force a relationship with someone who refuses to
accept you. But you can, and God requires you to, make the effort. At that point,
it is in His hands. He is the one who has to move on the other person's
heart. Much like in witnessing, you can never force someone to get saved,
but God requires you to give them the opportunity, and after that it is up
to the power of the Holy Spirit to move on the person's heart.
I am not going to elaborate very much today, because the challenge God has
for you today is very simple, very straightforward. God is asking you to
make the effort to reconcile this Christmas season. Forget the reasons,
forget what has happened in the past, make the effort in Christ-like love.
At that point, you have done what God has asked you to do, and it is than up to
the other person to respond. I know this is not easy, and in many cases,
very painful. I will be praying for you. I will be praying for His strength,
words, and love to be with you in a way you never have known before. God is
love. It is His desire to see His children love one another. What better
Christmas present for God than to obey His voice and make the effort to
reconcile your relationship with that family member you are separated from.
I will be praying today specifically for you to heed this challenge and to
be obedient to God's voice. I love you, care about you, and want to see you be
all God has raised you up to be. One way we do that is by doing those
things in life, even the painful things, that we know God expects us to do.
You will be surprised how much can be accomplished just with communication.
The problems don't disappear, they don't wipe away in some cases years of
pain, but God is able to heal and restore relationships. That is His desire
for you this Christmas.
