8-8-2020

 Good Morning All, 

    Matthew 5:24; “leave your gift at the altar. First go away and make peace with that person. Then come back and offer your gift.”

         It started out as a simple exercise.  It was supposed to be an exercise in getting to know each other.  It ended up a little more interesting.  It happened during a college class that I took.  We got into groups of 4 or 5 and then we had to tell what we would do if we were told we had 24 hours to live.  What would you do?  Where would you go?  How would you spend the time?

    The discussions started out as you would expect a group of 20 years old to begin.  A couple of the early volunteers mentioned consuming large amounts of alcohol.  Yet it did not take long for the general answers to become more intense and personal.  Some wanted to call all their friends and just talk.  Some wanted to call their parents and grandparents one last time.  Eventually, most seemed to agree that their very first priority would be to call those family members and friends that, the participants thought of as, someone they were on the “outs” with.  They wanted to call those who they were fighting or feuding with and make their amends and peace with them.  We never got to the class part that evening, I do not think the speech teacher was prepared for this deep of a discussion.

    It is sad when I have a funeral and I know that one or more of the people there would like to have had one more hour with the person who had died.  They would like one more hour to say, “I’m sorry” or “I forgive you” or “I love you.”  As they realize it is too late, it can be difficult for them.  Whether we want to admit it or not, personal relationships are extremely important to us.

    This is because God is a God of relationships.  From the very creation when it was “not good that man should be alone” all the way through Scriptures; God is about rebuilding our relationships; first with him and then with others.  When we have those relationships with others, we are to maintain them.  When they are broken, we are to fix them as quickly as possible.  That is part of what our verse means; do not wait to fix it.

    God tells us to fix it and fix it now.  It does not matter who started it or who is right; the person who values the relationship the most will go first, and we are all supposed to be that person.  God gives us the gift of family, love, friendships, and companions.  These are to aid the time we spend traveling on the journey of this life.  They are to give us comfort and aid as we go.  These are some of the gifts which God gives us as a blessing.  Do not waste them.

Gracious Father, lead us to go to our brothers and sisters and mend our relationships.  Lead us to share in the love and the fellowship of grace that is from you.  Help us to see the love that we have from you through them.  Help us to see that it is the devil’s doing when the strains occur.  Guide us by your Spirit of love to overcome the devil’s ways.  Be with those who are broken at this time and heal them by your mercy.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret