Digging Deeper – If God Brings Someone to Mind, My Next Step is Clear

These verses contain some of the most surprising words Jesus ever spoke.

Imagine standing at the altar in the temple, preparing to offer a sacrifice to God. For a Jewish person, this was one of the most sacred acts of worship possible. Yet Jesus says that if you remember a broken relationship while worshiping, stop what you’re doing. Leave the gift. Leave the altar. Go pursue reconciliation.

Jesus is teaching us something important about God’s priorities.

God cares deeply about worship, but He also cares deeply about relationships. In fact, Jesus teaches that pursuing reconciliation is so important that it should not be delayed. The Pharisees were experts at religious activity, but many neglected the condition of their relationships. Jesus refuses to separate the two.

Notice the action words in these verses: remember, leave, go, first be reconciled, then come and offer. None of these words suggest delay. None of them suggest waiting until the timing feels better. Jesus calls for immediate action.

Sometimes during a sermon, a Bible study, or even during our personal devotional time, a particular person comes to mind. We remember a conversation that went badly. We remember a relationship that has been strained. We remember someone we hurt or someone we need to forgive. Often, we try to push those thoughts away. Yet Jesus says those moments may be the Holy Spirit prompting us to take a step toward peace.

Romans 12:18 (NLT) says, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” Notice that Paul does not say we are responsible for the other person’s response. We cannot control how others react. We cannot force reconciliation. But we can take responsibility for our part. We can make the call. We can send the text. We can ask for forgiveness. We can extend grace.

There was once a man who carried bitterness toward a former friend for nearly ten years. Every time he saw that person’s name or heard someone mention it, anger rose inside him. One Sunday during church, he felt strongly impressed that he needed to reach out. He resisted at first, convincing himself that too much time had passed. Finally, he made the call.

The conversation lasted less than thirty minutes. Both men apologized. Both admitted they had allowed pride to keep them apart. Years of tension disappeared in a single conversation. Later, he said, “The hardest part wasn’t the phone call. The hardest part was waiting ten years to make it.”

How many broken relationships linger because someone is waiting for the other person to make the first move? Jesus calls His followers to take the initiative.

After all, that is exactly what God did for us. Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God did not wait for us to move toward Him. He moved toward us first. Because Jesus pursued reconciliation with us, we can pursue reconciliation with others.

Has God brought a specific person to mind while reading this devotion? Is there a phone call, text message, conversation, or apology that needs to happen? What step of reconciliation can you take today?