Daily Dose 8-3-19

Romans 16:17-18 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

The last prayer of Jesus while on earth was for unity. Christians who cause divisions in the Church break the heart of Christ. Divisions can come in many forms. The most obvious is prideful bickering. However, the deepest divisions may come when no words are spoken at all. When Christians fail to restore broken relationships and continue to live in avoidance as opposed to acceptance, the obstacle of alienation is thrown in the pathway of love. Hearts have been broken and spirits crushed when brothers and sisters move on from broken relationships under the guise of maintaining peace. We must learn to repair and restore the broken hearts in our midst before we can be truly successful in healing the hearts of the lost.

Father, Show me what You would have me do to restore broken relationships among Your people. Help me to be an instrument of Your reconciling love. Amen