Reconciliation

The Sermon on the Mount is rich with teachings that make us pause and look within.

Matthew 5:23-24 was one of the many that did that for me.  I thought about the many times when my anger or disappointment or pride led me to pull away from someone, with reconciliation the last thing I wanted to think about.

But Christ’s command is clear…when we have a lingering conflict with others, then that separation can prevent us from worshipping the Lord in the way He wants:

“Reconciliation”

I step up to Your throne of grace,
and at Your altar offer praise,
but You ask me if I am clean,
have anything that comes between
my heart and Your great love for me,
that would keep me from being free,
for with it I am still defiled,
You want me to go reconcile.

I know exactly what You saw,
that friend of mine I didn’t call,
who said some things that set me off,
and ever since I have cutoff;
they did things I did not expect,
and I said things I now regret,
You want me to reach out to them,
and try and make things right again.

I leave Your house with humble heart,
to clear this up, to do my part,
to love like You, to them forgive,
to be forgiven, then to live
a life without that stain on me,
that keeps me from Your majesty,
so I can have my altar call,
be in Your presence, total awe.

We work things out, are reconciled,
our hearts are lifted, many smiles,
we praise the Lord and worship Him,
thanks to You, Lord, we’re friends again;
I then return to Your altar,
with contrite heart to now offer,
my sacrifice of praise to You,
it’s through Your love I’ve been made new.

***

So often we want to worship on our terms, in our way, with our frustrations, and with our relationship challenges.

But God asks us to come with humble, contrite, and resolved hearts instead…all things His Spirit helps us with if we ask…and then our worship is what and how He wants.

Reconciliation isn’t easy…our humanness gets in the way.

But He showed us through His love what reconciliation needs to be.

May we love others like He loved us and seek His help to address those relationships that need to be repaired.

In His love.

Stan