Seeking Him Together Bible Study: Week 8

Well, our loads are lightened this week--we only have one question to answer. But that doesn't mean the burden is any lighter. In fact, this week, I puzzled quite a bit over whether I was doing things "right" in the Bible study--whether I was getting what God wanted me to get. And probably, over-thinking. It's what I do.

Here's our question...(thanks Amber, for hosting, and blessings to Melissa as she continues her mission trip in Peru):

Discuss this statement from day 3 "Revival and reconciliation are inseparable. You cannot be right with God and not be right with your fellow man." Why do you think there is such a strong connection between our relationship with God (the vertical) and our relationships with others (horizontal)?

It's a fairly straightforward answer, and simple--but not easy. There is a strong connection between our relationship upwards and outwards, because He (upwards) fuels our strength, courage, compassion, patience, kindness and grace with them (outwards). We need Him, and He has designed us to meet Him, not only through our reading of His Word, and prayer, but in community with others. And this would all be peachy, if not for sin. Bad attitudes. Pride. Bitterness. Unresolved conflict. Selfishness.

I don't know about you, but this represents a lot of muck that God needs to tend to in me. To be honest, I don't really have any outstanding grievances between me and others (as far as i know), but in order to present a clean heart to God, I must come to Him each day and ask him to search me. Search me for unkindness, bitterness, etc. If I do this, in effect, I'm reconciling problems before they have an opportunity to grow from little storms in my mind to hurricanes of guilt, shame, and regret. However, I do have a situation in which I don't have any overt sin against this person, but I'm very bitter about this person--whom I'll call "X". I just don't enjoy X, don't really like to talk to X, and despite a long history with X and needing to be with X, by the grace of God, I'm able to tolerate X. Now, knowing that I feel this bitterness, it might be logical to go up to X and apologize for said bitterness and ask for forgiveness. However, I'm fairly sure that X is oblivious to my feelings. At least I hope so. All that I might say--even with contrite heart--would only hurt X and dredge up things that are better left alone. In this case, my reconciling is seemingly two-sided--between God and me, but indirectly, God's peace has a positive effect on the other person. My focus in this case is in allowing God to right my heart right and decreasing my sin--bitterness--through prayer and the council and abiding of the Holy Spirit. The bummer about this is that I must do this daily. That bitterness will snatch me up into it's grip if I don't hold vigilantly to the Truth. The good thing about this is that He is faithful. I'm never alone, for (Hebrews 4:15) 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Thank You God for your faithfulness.