One of the most important points in a healing or restoring a relationship is the tone of the conversation. WHAT we say is not enough. It is HOW we say it. We can say the right thing in the wrong way, and that sets back the whole reconciliation process. We can go to the person and say the right thing, but if we say it with a wrong tone, with a wrong attitude, instead of healing, bitterness actually gets more established, and the person we went to says, “I am convinced now that you are insincere and off.” So our tone really, really matters. Galatians 6:1 gives us insight into how to restore relationships. While Paul is talking there about restoring a brother who sins, the very same principles apply to restoring a wounded relationship. He emphasizes two things that are critical to restoring a relationship. He said first to go in a spirit of gentleness, and second, to consider or look to yourself. That is, identify deficiencies in love that we have which contributed to the relationship problem. Identify insensitivities where we were negligent and insensitive. We can always find deficiencies and insensitivities. If there is not a big scandalous injustice or a horrible sin, there are certainly these other things. We can find them, and we bring them into the restoration of the relationship.
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 17:30:25 +0000