‘Esau asked, “What do you mean by all these droves I met?” “To find favor in your eyes, my lord. Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.’ Genesis 33:8-11 (NIV).
Here is something worth knowing in order to move forward after a relationship has come apart. The person who hurt us may never offer an apology in the way we want. After Jacob cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright, things got so bad between them that Esau planned to kill him. So Jacob went to live far away with his uncle Laban. Later in life, when both brothers had become wealthy and successful in their own right, Jacob decided to seek reconciliation with Esau. At first Esau refused to accept his brother’s gifts, but when Jacob persisted, Esau accepted.
Notice that Jacob never said, ‘I’m sorry I stole your birthright; please forgive me.’ Basically, he said, ‘I’d like to try and make amends.’ At this point Esau showed real maturity by valuing his relationship with his brother over his right to exact revenge. So the family was united.
There’s a lesson here. God wants us to grow up and exercise spiritual maturity. We can’t control what others do or say; we can only control our response. Furthermore, if we insist that someone apologize to us – in a certain way – the relationship may never be healed. As a result, we will be left holding a grudge. And holding a grudge is like holding a hot coal; it will keep burning us until we let it go.
Prayer:
‘Heavenly Father, help me to show grace and love to those who have hurt me, despite the method they choose to reconcile our relationship. Father, you desire unity in your Body. Help me to be a peacemaker and one who brings restoration to the church family. Thank you.’
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
AMEN!
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Final Thoughts:
We may want a friend to apologize for the way they have hurt or insulted us. But if instead they honor us with something extra nice for our birthday, we ought to respond with grace instead of judging their methods or their motives.
In other words, let bygones be bygones and move forward into a healthier faze of what was once a broken relationship.
Be Greatly Blessed!
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