“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matthew 5:23-24

Conflicts will inevitably arise; but it is vital that we know the root of all discord with others.  The word tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” In all things we must remember that we are in a spiritual battle.

Satan is the archenemy of our souls and has no desire for us to live in unity with one another, and definitely not in obedience to God. We can clearly see this as evil runs rampage throughout our world and especially here in our nation. However, let us take a closer look at personal relationships in our homes, workplaces, and God forbid . . . even our churches; we see evidence of divisions and brokenness because of Satan’s greatest weapon of deception. The Apostle Paul gives warning to the saints in Corinth against the subtle tactics of the enemy to steer them from the truth “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3.

Many times, Satan askew the facts in our minds so that things which appear factual, are in actuality his misalignment to deceive our hearts from the actual facts; this brings about dissention, confusion, and ill will among dear brothers and sisters in Christ. It is imperative that we pray and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the truth in all perceivable differences; He is able to mend our brokenness with others my friends; He will enlighten, unify, encourage, and uplift us in spite of the enemy’s ploy of destruction our witnesses for God.

Matthew 5:13 state “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” In other words walk the talk; fervently pray one for another as the Apostle Paul did in Ephesians 3:16-19 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Let us act to quickly resolve conflicts in love… our first step is reconciliation; “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matthew 5:23-24.

If we genuinely love the Lord, we cannot go before the altar of God with praise and honor, offering up our petitions to Him with known issues in our heart against others. The word further admonishes us in Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” We can rest in the loving assurance that God knows the intent of every heart and will work it out for our good.

Ultimately, we can never remind ourselves enough, that our Savior has commanded us to love one another. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34. It is our responsibility as Christians to be the examples of love and unity in our homes and communities.

Let us take off the blinders and see through the spiritual attacks of the enemy, seeking to cause divisions, mistrust, and unbelief among the children of God; but we have been equipped for the fight. . . cling to His Word, by which we can combat all the fiery darts of the devil; and above all. . . take heart because God wins every time!

God blessings of peace and healing be with you today and always.