https://youtu.be/-Otg-5p7qug Matthew West When You See Wounded
A Broken Chain
Sweet sixteen! On my sixteenth birthday, my then boyfriend gave me a silver heart necklace with a small diamond for my birthday. That boyfriend later became my husband and this summer we will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. The necklace has been a treasure for all these years and I wear it often. One day, not long ago, the chain broke.
As I looked at the broken chain, I’m reminded of the ups and downs of a relationship. There are times when spouses, girlfriends/boyfriends, friendships, etc are broken. Their lives take a turn in opposite directions. Someone may have said an unkind word or did something offensive.
It simply could be a misunderstanding that is left unattended and festers to something big.
Mending brokenness is hard
Brokenness is hard to mend. Pride or determination to be right gets in the way of repairing that relationship. Why is it so difficult to say I’m sorry?
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8, ESV
The First Broken Relationship
The relationship between a person and God is most important. Adam and Eve are the first recorded broken relationships in the Bible. They disobeyed God and were ashamed and hid from Him. God is all knowing. He knew what they had done, but He longed for the relationship to be restored. There were consequences to their actions, but God loved them and provided for them. He is a forgiving God.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Psalm 51:8 ESV
David’s Brokenness over sin
David in Psalms 51 begs God to renew their relationship after the bond was broken. God had forgiven David’s sin, but David desired a close walk with the Lord like he had before his sin. He realized inwardly he was empty and in need of a fulfillment that only God can give. When we sin, we break the bond with God. We must seek His forgiveness and seek a closer walk with Him.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.1.7.ESV
The Bible expresses our role as a Christian. We are to walk in the light, not darkness. We are to be a radiance to others surrounding us so they might see Jesus.
Repairing broken relationships
So, what do we do when a relationship is broken?
- Be Humble. “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility.” Ephesians 4:1b-2a
- Offer Forgiveness – “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
- Be Patient – “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12.
The break in my chain has been repaired. A simple and painless fix. The break in a relationship is more difficult to be repaired. We must seek forgiveness from God, then from the person in which the relationship needs restored. The pain caused in a broken relationship often takes time to mend so we need to be patient and pray without ceasing. Live a life worthy of Christ.
Paula Wallace
