Making Restitution

Thursday May 4, 2023

When we have hurt someone, we need to take responsibility for the harm we have caused and do all in our power to make things right. This is what we call making restitution. That could mean repaying money for things we have stolen; clearing up an attack on a person's reputation; or owning up to the truth for some action of ours that we previously blamed on others. The list of wrongs needing to be righted is endless and is unique to each of our life experiences.

Proper restitution to others is challenging to make if we haven't seen our own behaviour in the light of God's love. We broke God's laws. We harmed persons made in God’s image. We owed a debt we could never repay. In His foreknowledge of our broken ways, God recognized the need for restitution if our relationship with Him and with others was to be healed. What was God's response? Through Jesus, God chose to pay the debt on our behalf and made restitution for all our wrongs.

Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. God paid a very high price to make you his. So honor God with your body. Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 2:16 ERV)

A song by Ellis Crum gives meaning to this truth. "He paid a debt He did not owe. I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace. Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay."

As we recognize what God has done through the forgiveness of our sins and the restoration of a loving relationship with Him, we will find our attitude towards others has changed. We are so thankful for all that we have received that we want others to receive the same blessing. Although it’s never easy to make restitution to another person, we will be motivated to take the necessary steps when we truly reflect on God’s work of restitution for us.

Prayer: Thank You for Jesus who died on the cross for my sins so that I could be reconciled to You. I ask for wisdom and courage to humbly approach family members and friends and to make restitution to them with a heart and mind that both honours them and You. Amen

Making Restitution

Audio for Making Restitution

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