Reconciliation

Romans 5: 4-5 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 5: 10-11, For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

In my life, I have prayed for hours about reconciliation. Asking God to heal old disagreements, to renew relationships, to provide the strength to forgive another and for compassion when I ask for forgiveness. In preparing to write this devotion I thought about the conflicts present in the world today and the challenges of reconciliation. In the past few weeks I have noticed a strong and recurring feeling of irritation. It is as though the strife that has been brewing politically, vocationally, and even religiously seems more intense, or perhaps just more troublesome. Since this irritation feels almost universal, I have blamed the unrest on my personal human response, from long hours at work, or particularly stressful conversations or situations. After surrendering to prayer and acknowledging that some of this persistent irritation is certainly internal, me not letting things go, or becoming frustrated by the outcome of a situation that I cannot control, there are other parts of it that are external and are impacting my distress. 

When searching for a verse to help me endure this challenging time I was comforted by the verses from Romans about strength of character and our reconciliation to God. In agitated times I need to remember the need for endurance and strength and know that God is with me. When I become frustrated or afraid, I need to remember that I have hope that reconciliation is possible in every part of my life. In moments when I am disappointed, I need to let go of the unrest and either walk away from the issue or try a new approach or solution. 

With the turmoil in our world today I know that I am not the only once experiencing these feelings and that as Christians, we are all praying for relief from many of the same problems and symptoms. 

Prayer: Resilient and mighty God, please give me strength to endure the challenges before me. Help me to find outlets for my frustration. Help me to see your work in the world. When I am frustrated or irritable, help me to show love instead of anger.  Amen.

Christi Moock (reprinted from 2017)