The first and best choice
“…First be reconciled to your brother…”
There was nothing David could do to restore his family because of one act of negligence…lack of family reconciliation; Absalom killed Amnon because Amnon raped his sister Tamar, Absalom rebelled against his own father because of the hatred from his sister’s defilement, and Absalom died out of rebellion. This was a great loss for King David (2 Samuel 13-18).
It is very alarming how much a single act of negligence to the duty of reconciliation can cost a person and his or her environment. In today’s society, there is one thing that man cannot do without which is being at peace with ones neighbors. The major cause of war is lack of or improper conflict resolution. Many marriages are left on dead rocks because of conflict and so are many relationships. It is for this reason the Lord prescribed to “First be reconciled to your brother…” before we offer our worship to Him.
Dear brethren, in the wisdom of God, He knew that if there be any thing to sustain His creation that will be reconciliation and so God “…through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us...” (2 Cor 5:18-21). It is difficult sometimes to just forgive and reconcile with a brother or sister who has wronged us but the Lord says we should rather settle with such people before we can be in relationship with Him. Paul admonished us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:32).
It is very obvious that the world is trying to make our relationship with God difficult by setting us up against one another; however, it is our responsibility to make it easier by being at peace with each other. We were never promised an easy way of dealing with our neighbors but admonished to “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12:14). Isn’t it comforting that God desire mercy and not sacrifice? The first and best choice is always reconciliation. It is the Lord’s choice too. God bless!