Lashes and hair by Laurie

Reconciled for a Purpose

Have you ever attempted to balance a difficult equation? There’s a lot more to it than simply getting the right answer. You need to understand the step-by-step process if you want to be able to apply it and find new solutions in the future. In fact, most solutions in life involve a process, and the idea of reconciliation is no different.

It’s not enough to know that reconciliation is the answer to disunity and injustice. We have to seek to understand and actively engage in the process. Reconciliation is the hard-but-good, messy-yet-beautiful, worth-it kind of work.

“Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 34:14

As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are not only called to understand and engage in the process of reconciliation; you are thoroughly equipped to be a minister of reconciliation. Scripture affirms that every believer is a minister of reconciliation, empowered by God Himself (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

So how do we do that? Psalm 34:14 lays out a few steps for us:

TURN FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD. Turning from evil means both rejecting evil outwardly and addressing it inwardly within our own hearts. We confess the sin that caused the fracture by acknowledging our role in conflicts with God and others, and we turn from our old ways and actively seek peace.

SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. Peace isn’t the absence of conflict; it’s the presence of restored harmony. Seeking peace means we aren’t just peace-keepers; we are peacemakers who actively pursue being a part of restoration. We listen empathetically and strive for understanding. We see and are attentive to the brokenness around us and ask where God might be calling us to be a part of reconciliation. And we put in the work because this kingdom work is worth it.

Because of the reconciliation work of Jesus Christ, accomplished on the cross, reconciliation is not a problem to be solved—it's a process that you’ve been invited to. Jesus Christ is reconciling the world to Himself. How will you join Him?

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Psalm 34:14 - Bible App Psalm 34:14 with Danger Close

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Luke 6:28 - Bible App Luke 6:28 with The Voice of the Martyrs

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The Gift of Giving

Have you ever waited to do something you knew was the right thing to do?

When Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthians, the church in Corinth needed correction. In the ninth chapter, Paul focused on a promise the Corinthians had made a year before to help struggling Christians in Jerusalem. Not only had the Corinthians made this promise—to collect an offering and send it to Jerusalem—but they were so eager in their pledge, they had inspired other churches to follow their lead.

However, the Corinthians were taking a long time to follow through on their promise, and in the meantime, their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem were suffering. Not only that, their eagerness to give had waned, and they were no longer setting the generous example they had before. So Paul wrote:

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV

When we are reluctant to give, we miss out on the chance to bless others. Disobedience can harden our hearts toward others. We can hold on to what we have because we think we know best.

Instead, when you give with urgency, Paul says, “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). He will bless you “so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11).

Now, that may not always mean God will enrich you financially. But it does mean that God will always provide you with the means to be generous—with your time, energy, and money. And because God does not wait to provide for us, we shouldn’t wait to provide for others.

Today, look for opportunities to show your generosity and share the good gifts God has given you—and when you see one, don’t wait to act! Instead, give with a cheerful spirit.

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2 Corinthians 9:7 2 Corinthians 9:7 with Rich Villodas

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2 Corinthians 9:7 (ESV) - Each one must give as he has decide | YouVersion Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.