Families Reconciled
Good Morning Friends,
Is a toxic relationship killing you? It can you know. Several power-hungry, deceitful, and jealous men and women committed murder during Bible times. A lot of people think that the characters in the Bible have nothing in common with people today, but people are reliving these stories every day. The discernment is knowing the dynamics of the storyline.
The beauty is seeing just how messed up the characters in the Bible are and that God still loves them. Let me give you a few examples: Adam’s family began with blame and ended in murder. Abraham pretends that Sarah is his sister, has a child with another woman and then nearly sacrifices his son Isaac. At one point, Lot offers his daughters to rapists. Rebekah and Jacob, mother and younger son, plot against Isaac and Esau, daddy and eldest son. Jacob has thirteen kids with four different women. When Jacob favored one son over the others, those other brothers threw him down a well, sold him to slavery and then told their father that his young boy Joseph was dead. When King Ahaziah of Judah died his mother began to kill all the King’s family. Guess what? She became the next to reign so she had a motive in killing her own family. It’s true that Bible characters lived in a different time but there are still a lot of things in the Bible that people have in common today, including after much struggle Families Reconciled.
Scripture: Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked. Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.” Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down. Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?” “To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said. But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.” “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. 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. Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”
Genesis 33:1-12 (NIV)
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1 (KJV)
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2 (KJV)
Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Amos 3:3 (KJV)
Message: Do you think your family is unhealthy? Well some of the Bible’s most famous characters had to have left some serious emotional scars on each other. Perhaps you have some too. I do. But I have stopped calling them dysfunctional because God even uses evil for good…check out the story of Joseph. Well yesterday I wrote about salvation as I wrestled with God. And in Genesis 32 and 33 we are drawn into the story of exactly how God can work in our lives to lead us to salvation. Here God restores hope inside our hearts and provides the forgiveness needed to overcome past mistakes. He can also turn the scariest situation into a moment of extreme joy. We simply need to trust the guidance of the Lord and turn our thoughts to him just as Jacob did in his quest to reconcile with his brother Esau. Friends some situations are best to walk away from. Others require us to develop a real desire to know, love, and comprehend another person, embracing the uniqueness of who they are. The art of relationships requires that people who are very different find common ground. It is, I must admit, difficult to find this unless one uses a little mental floss to clean the spaces between our brain cells and leaving emotional room to experience the here and now. Sometimes, of course, we just need to move on with life. But sometimes Christians are called to negotiate win-win possibilities. This is the hallmark of healthy relationships. And typically it requires us to lighten our load and focus on what is really important. Here we see our self and others as valuable enough to deserve love. This was as important to the reconciliation of Esau as Jacob’s giving the gifts. You see, when Jacob gave such generous gifts, it was his way of saying to Esau he was sorry and when Esau accepted the gifts, it was his way of accepting Jacob and saying he was forgiven. Friends, that is the story of salvation.
Pray we overcome our differences in relationships. Pray we realize that healthy relationships require emotional and spiritual freedom. Pray we realize that it takes courage to really love someone else. Pray we safeguard our relationships but also risk enough to grow. Pray we evaluate who we really are. Pray that emotional issues of the past are not seeping into current relationships. Pray we have the hope of healthy relationships. Pray we realize that disagreement can destroy. Pray we grow up in Christ.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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