A Brother Offended
One of the hardest things in my life has been trying to be reconciled to the people who have been offended by something I said or did. Sometimes, it has even been an innocent misunderstanding, but they took offense, so they still did not want to forgive me. I agree with what Solomon told us that it's harder to win an offended brother than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel. (Proverbs 18:19) This proves that the key to this situation is prevention.
It is impossible to know how our words and actions will effect other people, but as much as possible, we must keep in mind not to do anything that we know would be offensive to others. Then, even when it happens in spite of our best efforts, we need to be quick to go to the person and ask for forgiveness in a very sincere way. All the while, we must remember that contentions are like bars that keep people out of our lives. Since good relationships are vital to our lives, we must avoid contentions, unless it is something we can't avoid, because we are doing God's will or standing up for His truth. However, it is worthwhile to take every step possible to avoid contentions, if possible, and to keep from having to win our brothers back.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Proverbs 19-21.
It is impossible to know how our words and actions will effect other people, but as much as possible, we must keep in mind not to do anything that we know would be offensive to others. Then, even when it happens in spite of our best efforts, we need to be quick to go to the person and ask for forgiveness in a very sincere way. All the while, we must remember that contentions are like bars that keep people out of our lives. Since good relationships are vital to our lives, we must avoid contentions, unless it is something we can't avoid, because we are doing God's will or standing up for His truth. However, it is worthwhile to take every step possible to avoid contentions, if possible, and to keep from having to win our brothers back.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Proverbs 19-21.