I don't know how to fix it . . .

Four years—nearly 1,500 days, that’s how long a friend of mine has been carrying around their anger hurt and resentment. Dave* recently sat down over a cup of coffee to talk with the person who had hurt him. During their talk Dave said there’s a lot of water over the dam we can’t get back; we can’t change what happened . . . It’s hard to start over; I just don’t know how to fix it.

I can identify with Dave. How can we ever hope to resolve conflict, to forgive those who have sinned against us? How can we begin again?

Today I sat down with another friend who like Dave was facing a conflict with someone—another Christian with ‘an attitude’. He asked me to come and pray for the two of them. As I went to this meeting I asked God how I should pray and what I should say. God directed me to the following words of Jesus.

"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend . . . Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there."
Matthew 18:15-20 (MsgB)

It isn’t often that we connect what Jesus says here; we somehow think that Jesus is dealing with two different issues. On the one hand is church discipline and on the other is prayer. Yet this is not two different things at all. The two or three that Jesus says He will be in the midst of are those Christians who have had some kind of disagreement and hurt each other. When people who have been divided agree together in prayer, that’s when you can be certain that God will answer their prayers!

My friends are in the same place: they are both dependant upon God to do what they can’t. My friend Dave is right, he can’t fix it. But here is the good news: GOD CAN! And God will as two or three who have been separated from each other because of sin decide to agree together and ask God for help. What Satan intended for evil in their lives God works out for good. God heals the brokenhearted and gives them a new beginning (See Romans 8:28; Psalm 147:3).

I’m confident that God will help Dave to make a fresh start and find healing for his hurts. I know God will do the same for you if you’re willing to do what Jesus says.
* Dave is not his real name.