Tuesday, June 11, 2013 -- Making Amends In Relationship (2)

How many times have we written people off because of some dispute in the distant past? Years pass and people mature and change; yet we cling to our old ways of seeing them. Events that took place have inflicted wounds that have not been allowed to heal for years or even decades. Sometimes, due to the pain we experienced, we were too afraid to approach the offender and communicate with them.  Had we done so, we might have found that we didn't see the situation clearly in the first place. It's probably time to sort out the truth.

Sometimes, based on what has already happened in our lives, we judge a present-day event pretty harshly. We transfer negative feelings from the past situation to the current event.  Making amends includes going back and reassessing an event or person with the intention of knowing truth, and offering healing and restoration. 

Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 
Don’t look out only for your own interests, 
but take an interest in others, too.  (Philippians 2:2-4 NLT)

Paul and Barnabas traveled together on a missionary journey taking John Mark along as their assistant.  When things got tough, the young man deserted them and went home.  Later, Barnabas wanted to give John Mark another chance, but Paul refused.  Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated.  Much later in his life, Paul was put in prison.  During that time, he wrote to Timothy and asked for John Mark because Paul found John Mark's work to be helpful personally and in ministry.  The Bible doesn’t tell us how Paul came to change his opinion of John Mark.  Perhaps he realized that he hadn’t been completely fair.  Maybe John Mark had changed over the years.  At some point, though, they had re-established their relationship and repaired the emotional damage done.

©2013 Partners in Hope