Organizing the Inside – Day 152 When Something Doesn’t Seem Right

February 2, 2012 at 2:00 am · Filed under Encouragement, Inspiration, Organizing, Relationship, Wisdom, Women's Ministry and tagged: Christian

23“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.  ~Matthew 5:23, 24

God makes the priority plain.
Part of getting organized on the inside is about having your priorities in the right order. When our priorities are in line with what God wants then our conscience is clear. The book of Matthew teaches us the importance of our relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ. Why does God tell us that it is more important to first be reconciled with our brother, and then offer our gift? This brings me great pause. Why isn’t worship, praise and other gifts more of a priority to God than my relationship with my sister? I believe one reason is that when we hold things in our hearts against another Christian, it hinders the flow of true worship, and praise and the purity of our worship is tainted. God is not concerned with how you lift your hands, but because the act of true worship is a direct connection from your heart to God it must be pure.

How can we lift holy hands in praise?
While priests no longer offer bulls or goats upon the Lord’s altar in exchange for our sins; God still expects our offerings to be pure. The Israelites were forbidden to bring blemished livestock as an offering to God. God demanded the best offering a man could give. Today we know that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, offered once and for all who would believe in Him. Since Christ there is no longer a need for sin offerings, however there are other types of offerings we give to the Lord and He expects those to be pure. You can’t lift your hands in praise or lead another in prayer or lift your voice in song without conviction unless your heart is clear. If your sister or brother has something against you, that is all the more reason you need to take action.

Handle your business and move on.
Now if your sister or brother has something against you, forget about your pride and do what God says is right. If this is speaking to your heart, I’m pretty certain it’s not the first time you thought you needed to deal with a particular relationship. God is love, and love is long-suffering; but it sure is better to find fulfillment and get your reward. In other words, what I’m saying is obey God, even though He has been patient about the unresolved conflict in your life.  There comes a time when you need to make things right. It doesn’t matter who was right, or who was wrong. If there is unresolved conflict between you and another, deal with it.  Listen, you can’t continue going to church, (for that matter in the privacy of your home) offering tainted praise when you know the truth. Disobedience always brings about the need for a sacrifice; that’s a spiritual principle you cannot get around.  Whether you have something against someone and you need to forgive, or someone has something against you, it must be dealt with. The Word of God will lead you into all truths. If you’ve been trying to get around it, let’s bring that awkwardness to an end. It’s time to get on with the business of the kingdom.

There is nothing like pure worship.
Pure worship can’t be compared with any other forms of expression. When you know it is well with your soul, worship is sweet.  I’m not talking about those few moments in life when you think as a Christian you’ve got it “going on” in your relationship with God,” or “you have it all together,” any one of us are hard pressed to stay in such a state for more than ten minutes. I’m talking about just having that assurance that you’ve been obedient to the Lord, and have done your best (regardless of the outcome) to obey Him. Maybe there is a special song you’ve wanted to sing, or maybe you’ve been looking forward to taking part in church services on Sunday, but something doesn’t seem right. Take a moment and ask God to open your heart. He’ll show you the next steps to take before you bring your gift to Him. The Word is clear and the Holy Spirit is unmistakable in bringing forth truth. When we hear Him there’s no doubt, we know it’s definitely Him. Letting go of past hurts is not always easy; but in His loving kindness and compassion God wants us free to worship and fellowship with Him. He wants us to walk in love and be at peace with our neighbor, especially those who are in the household of faith.
What gift did you want to offer, go and make it right with your brother first.

Also read Matthew 18:15-20 and 21-35

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