Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Doing a Hard Thing


“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Corinthians 5:16-21 NIV)

It had been months since I had seen the student.  Once he had been very active in our ministry and then he just stopped coming.  Too busy, he said.  I knew there was more, but as I have experienced many times, people are often loath to tell you the truth.  They would rather just move on.

In a world in rebellion against God and often fighting with each other, followers of Jesus are called to a ministry of reconciliation.  However, it is difficult to be effective in that ministry if we fail to pursue reconciliation with fellow believers.  What do we have to say to an angry, fighting world when we cannot seem to handle our disagreements any differently?

Many years ago, a woman in a church where I served as an elder refused to speak to me, literally.  Finally, I walked up to her and asked her why she refused to talk with me.  She was convinced I had lied to her at one point and was angry with me.  To her it was an unforgivable offense and she had no interest in reconciliation.  And we never did.  

I wish I could say this was an isolated instance, but it is not.  In my years in vocational ministry, I have seen many occasions where Christians choose to avoid reconciliation with each other.  And I know why.  It’s hard.  

There is nothing more difficult than going to someone with whom you are angry and trying to work things out.  This is why so many couples get divorced and friendships dissolve.  It’s just much easier to walk away. Yet, followers of Jesus are called to do the hard things just as He did.  If the Lord’s message of reconciliation is to have any power, then His followers must seek to live it out in their own lives.  

I am happy to say the student came back and sought me out.  We talked, sought forgiveness from each other and were reconciled.  It was a beautiful experience, reminding us both of the power of God’s love.  

The world needs to see this from Christians and we need to experience it with each other.  Today, if there is a brother or sister toward whom you have hard feelings, seek them out and reconcile with them.  It is to this hard ministry all of us are called and for which Jesus died.

© Jim Musser 2014

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