Have you ever considered reconciliation as spiritual warfare? The devil desperately wants to keep us divided. Division in the church casts a shadow on our message of Jesus as Savior. If we who claim to follow Jesus can’t get along, how will anyone? In Romans 12, Paul urges us to genuinely love each other (v9), pray for those who curse us (v14), and do all that we can to live in peace with everyone (v18). These sound great until we must do them, and then these actions can be challenging.
As a church, we are to be a team to demonstrate who Jesus is to the world. Divisions draw us into conflicts that distract us from our mission and make us look bad to outsiders. When we in the church can’t get along, our enemy wins a battle.
Truth and Love in Reconciliation
If we pretend to love, we lose trust in a false front. People may smile but hide resentment in their hearts. It is only a matter of time until this ferments and breaks into conflict. Most likely, this conflict will be over minor issues. I have watched a woman leave the church because someone rearranged the dishes in the church kitchen. Truth can be used as a weapon because, often, the truth hurts. But honesty, when spoken in love, heals instead of divides.
“Love teaches us to speak without accusing, without generalizing (“you always … you never …”), without imputing motives (“I know why you did that, said that …”) or without selfishly dumping (“I’m telling you this only to relieve myself of the anger, shame …”). Love teaches us to speak the truth with the sole purpose of healing, not punishing.”[1]
We must use love and honesty together as we are determined to love the person and remove relationship obstacles.
Guidelines to Reconciliation
- Be willing to enter an uncomfortable conversation from God’s request to love.
- The goal must be to restore the relationship, not expose sin or hurt the other.
- Readily acknowledge your part in the disagreement.
- Honesty is the only way to restore, even if it means vulnerability.
Spiritual Victory
Division and conflict can destroy families and congregations and cloud our witness to unbelievers. We fend off the devil’s attack when we can restore relationships with God’s help. Instead of being defeated, reconciliation makes us stronger and builds our faith. What our enemy meant for harm, God can use for good.
To consider reconciliation as spiritual warfare, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/believe-live-it
[1] Schell, C. S. (2016). Preaching through the Book of Romans (pp. 214–215). Northwest Church.