Text 384, 101 rader
Skriven 2005-06-03 20:38:12 av Bob Hoffman (8:8/2)
Ärende: Exceedingly Precious
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From: "Bob Hoffman" <bhoffman@fmlynet.org>

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      Saturday 06-04 / Exceedingly Precious
      Robert Prodoehl
      Jun 3, 2005


Exceedingly Precious

"They shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts in that day when I make up My
jewels" (Malachi 3:17).

A day is coming in which the crown jewels of our great King shall be counted,
that it may be seen whether they answer to the inventory which His Father gave
Him. My soul, wilt thou be among the precious things of Jesus? Thou art
precious to Him if He is precious to thee, and thou shalt be His "in that day,"
if He is thine in this day.

In the days of Malachi, the chosen of the LORD were accustomed so to converse
with each other that their God Himself listened to their talk. He liked it so
well that He took notes of it; yes, and made a book of it, which He lodged in
His record office. Pleased with their conversation, He was also pleased with
them. Pause, my soul, and ask thyself: If Jesus were to listen to thy talk
would He be pleased with it? Is it to His glory and to the edification of the
brotherhood? Say, my soul, and be sure thou sayest the truth.

But what will the honor be for us poor creatures to be reckoned by the LORD to
be His crown jewels! This honor have all the saints. Jesus not only says, "They
are mine," but, "They shall be mine." He bought us, sought us, brought us in,
and has so far wrought us to His image that we shall be fought for by Him with
all His might.

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At Least As Good As Before

Being reconciled does not mean that the person who offended you must now become
your closest friend. What it means is that your relationship will be at least
as good as it was before the offense occurred. Once that happens, an even
better relationship may develop. As God helps you and the other person work
through your differences, you may discover a growing respect and appreciation
for each other. Moreover, you may uncover common interests and goals that will
add a deeper and richer dimension to your friendship. Food for Thought: When a
relationship has been seriously damaged because one person violated another's
trust (as in an extramarital affair) or deeply hurt the other person (as in a
public insult), how can that relationship be made "at least as good as it was
before"?

The first step is to note that biblical reconciliation is not an effort by both
parties to "make things exactly as they were before". Clearly, things can never
be the same again. However, for Christians, while the relationship will indeed
be different on the other side of the offense, it can, by God's grace, be "at
least as good"--if not better.

While the repentance of the offending party is key in the reconciliation
process, much of the "difference that makes better" does not come from the
offending party's repentance at all; in fact, it cannot. To look to the
offending party for the fullness of reconciliation can only lead to grossly
failed expectations at best and idolatry at worst (as we look for a person to
do something that only God can do). Arguably, the most important move in
reconciliation is when the offended party moves more deeply toward God and the
cross of Christ.

When we, as offended parties, move toward the cross, our view of ourselves
changes. Instead of seeing ourselves primarily as offended parties, we come to
see ourselves as ones who have offended infinitely but been forgiven
infinitely. Out of this identity, we find the resources to imitate God by
offering rich and lavish forgiveness to those whose repentance (like ours to
God) is weak, feeble, and woefully inadequate.

Adapted from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by
Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) p. 219.

Resources to Help You Respond to Conflict Biblically Looking for something to
read with your kids this summer that will have a profound impact on all of you?
http://srv.ezinedirector.net/?n=770173&s=25913695The Young Peacemaker is a
powerful system that parents and teachers can use to teach children how to
prevent and resolve conflict in a constructive and biblically faithful manner.
Order a Parent/Teacher Manual or Student Activity Booklets through our online
bookstore or by calling our Resource line at 800-711-7118.


http://www.peacemaker.net/
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