UNDESERVED RECONCILE

We live in such a divisive world. We see politics and religion play such a significant role in many of our lives, causing a divide like not seen before. We see this in homes, workplaces, social spaces and even in church.  Ultimately no one wins. We are a broken people, a broken nation. There are so many groups, so many divisions, so many parties and so many causes.  These factions have their own agenda and most causing disunity. We’ve made it about issues and what must be and what must not, according to a lower standard… ours!
 
We fight amongst ourselves. Friends turn against friends and family against family. And truly, when it is all said and done and we move into forever; will it have mattered? Would it have been worth all the heartache and pain caused to each other? Do these issues and earthly concerns matter from an eternal point of view? Don’t misunderstand this outlook for one of disregard for our current concerns or situations, that we should do nothing nor participate. No, one must simply weigh the causes we participate in and decisions we make from a more eternal perspective and then act accordingly.
 
When Jesus stepped out of heaven a long time ago and left His throne to be born in a humble manger; something very significant happened that is so overlooked. God in the person of Jesus Christ, stepped over to the other side. He could have stayed in heaven and just took on an attitude much like we do today when we don’t agree with someone. We tend to become indignant towards others and their point of view. We don’t engage constructively to listen, but instead we shout louder and tune each other out.
 
Unlike us, God came to where we were. He stepped over to the other side to engage. He humbled Himself to reach out to us. In our broken condition, He came to hear our hearts, to offer a message of hope, to offer healing, to offer a relationship like never before between God and His creation… to offer reconciliation we didn’t deserve.
 
In the Bible, 2nd Corinthians Chapter 5 tells us in verse 14 Christ’s love compels us. It goes on in verse 16 to tell us because of Christ’s love we should not think of anyone like everyone else, instead we should look at everyone from God’s point of view. What does that mean to us? The God of the World, who wants for nothing and can conjure anything just by speaking, desires relationship with you. He proved it by leaving heaven to come to our side. By doing so, God knocked the wall down and bridged the gap we created through our rebellion and hard hearts to make room, an opportunity for reconciliation through forgiveness He did not have to give. He looked at us with compassion and love. We should do the same for each other.
 
My hope is we can begin to follow the example God has given us through the life of His Son. Maybe we can take on that attitude and be the first to bridge the gap in someone’s life, to offer hope and an opportunity for healing. If we can just stop and think from a forever perspective, our outlook just might change and we might have the opportunity to impact others in positive way with the same love God demonstrates towards us.
 
Jesus brought that message of hope with Him when He left heaven to come over to our side a long time ago. That message of hope is still available for us today. It still changes people! This Easter, follow the example of Jesus and change your perspective and make a difference in your life and in the lives of others.
 
14 For Christ’s love compels us…. 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
​2nd Corinthians 14,16, 17, 18-21