Gina Duke - Churchtown Ministries

Giver of Good Stuff for Authentic Christian Living and Women’s Ministry

  • Home
  • Gina’s Bio
  • Books
    • Organizing Your Prayer Closet
    • Publishing Dreams
    • How to Beef Up Your Blog
  • Prayer Journal
    • Organizing Your Prayer Closet
      • Reviews
      • My Book’s Prestigious Award Press Release
      • Join My Facebook Group for Organizing Your Prayer Closet
    • 31 Ways to WRECK Your Prayer Journal
    • Video Playlist Companion for Your Prayer Closet Organizer
    • Take the 31-Day Structured Prayer Journaling Challenge
    • Small Group Guide for Organizing Your Prayer Closet
    • A Tool for Your Prayer Journal
    • Easy Prayer Petition Organizer
  • Women’s Ministry
    • Free Resources
    • A Case Study
    • How to Host an Interactive Bible Study
    • Favorite Christian Speakers
  • Speaking
    • Why Book Me?
    • Speaking Topics
    • Prayer Retreat Format & Topics
    • Endorsements
    • Fee Schedule
    • Speaking Schedule
    • Gina’s Bio
    • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Gina’s Etsy Store
  • Resources
    • Series
      • 5 Misconceptions about the Church & How to Refute Them
      • Jesus’ Manifesto Video Series
      • What Do You Think about the Christ? Video Series
      • Lessons from the Lepers – Thanksgiving Video Series
      • Detect & Defuse 4 Opposing Spirits to Women’s Ministry
    • Interviews
    • My Poems
    • Prayer Journaling Tutorial Videos
  • Blog Link-Ups
  • The Chronicles of the Corporate Mom

God Can Reconcile Friends – Praise Him!

October 4, 2012 by Gina | 11 Comments

God is good!  Have you ever had something nagging at you, maybe it was a concern, but you haven’t really specifically prayed about it?  You carry it around and periodically pull it out and look at it when no one else is around, then put it away again.  But then, God just takes care of it. 

Even as good as I try to be about taking all my cares to the Lord, I sometimes find myself still holding on to small worries.  Several years back I had a dear friend become distant.  I went to her and inquired if there was anything wrong, fully prepared to apologize and reconcile.  She denied any issue; however, our relationship was never the same.  That was fourteen years ago.

Since June of this year, she and this “non-issue” have been on my mind.  I’ve been debating if whether or not I should make another attempt to reconcile.  Maybe the Lord had put her on my mind lately to re-establish my desire for reconciliation.  Today, my long lost friend reached out to me in a very specific way to re-establish our friendship.  I am so happy about this latest development.  Obviously, God had been speaking to her as He had been speaking to me and now we are able to move forward as friends again.

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.”  Psalm 13:5-6

 As I organize my prayer closet tonight, I am going to give God praise for His goodness and care for my concerns.  It is important that as things develop throughout our day we recognize these moments to praise our heavenly Father.  He is good.  He cares about every little thing that I care about; time and time again, God has proved this to me.  Praise His name!

 

How do you reconcile with a friend? Scripture states that when you believe someone has something against you or is upset with you, whether you think they are right or wrong, you are instructed to go to that person to reconcile.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24

God is saying here that He does not even want your money (tithe) if you have broken relationships. He would rather you leave the service and go to that person to reconcile. This is the priority that reconciliation takes in God’s Word. Here are my recommended steps for approaching someone you believe may be upset with you:

  1. Have a humble attitude. This will not work if you are too caught up thinking that “She just needs to get over it!” or “I didn’t do anything wrong!” It is not going to go the way God intended if you are on the defensive from the get-go.

  2. Pray for the right opportunity. This attempt to reconcile needs to occur at the right time and in the right setting. It may be done in person, or in a letter or over the phone, but just be aware when you run into that person in public that that may not be the right time or place. Let the Holy Spirit direct you to the right method and time.

“…and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,
though a person may be weighed down by misery.” Ecclesiastes 8:5b-6

  1. Say the right words. You have the humble attitude, now let that attitude come through the tone of your words. If you are unaware of what caused the issue you may say something like this: “Deb, I feel that lately there has been some distance between us, and I need to know if I have done something to offend you because if I have I want to make it right.” If she discloses the issue, listen closely and don’t be defensive. Remember the key here is to reconcile! If you are clearly at fault, share why you felt you did what you did (humbly, not defensively), and ask for forgiveness. If she is reluctant to share what her feelings are at that time, just let her know that when she is ready to talk, you will be available. Also confirm how important it is to you that you reconcile any differences, as well biblical. If she denies a problem, then move on respectfully with your friend as if everything is okay. If you still sense something is wrong, then continue to pray for a reconcilation moment, and I believe God will provide, and give you your heart’s desire.

Remember, the goal is always to reconcile no matter who is in the wrong or who is misguided in their thinking on the subject, and that can only be accomplished in humility.

Is there someone who you need to reconcile with??? If so, you have now been equipped. Onward!

You may also like these posts:

5 Reasons to reconcile abovethefray Judging-is-about-Helping

Check out some of the other blogs I like to link up to here.

Click here to subscribe to Gina’s blog.

Award-Winning Author Gina Duke is a wife, mother and Director of Women’s Ministry at her local church. With a B.S. in Organizational Leadership, she is able to bring a clear word for authentic Christian living. Through her book, “Organizing Your Prayer Closet: A New and Life-Changing Way to Pray” (Abingdon Press), she imparts 1 Peter 4:7 with the gift of structured prayer journaling. Ms. Duke also blogs and offers numerous videos and resources at GinaDuke.com. You may also follow her on Twitter and Instagram @TheGinaDuke.

P.S. I invite you to subscribe to my blog again before you leave. Just click here and enter your email in the box at the right of your screen.

P.S.S. If you enjoyed this post, then why not share it with your friends???

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Print

Stay Up to Date

Signup to receive my latest blog posts.

Privacy Policy

Stay Connected

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Can the Man of Sorrow Really Identify with Our Sorrow?
  • She Prayer Journals Weekend Workshop – When You Feel Like Giving Up
  • She Prayer Journals Weekend Workshop- How to Better ASK!
  • She Prayer Journals – The Clarity and Art of Structured Prayer Journaling
  • She Prayer Journals Weekend Workshop – Lessons from Life Experiences

Join Us on Facebook

Join Us on Facebook

Categories

  • Book Reviews (6)
  • Church (16)
  • Conduct (9)
  • Corporate Mom (13)
  • Encouragement (17)
  • Event Planning (1)
  • Faith & Follow Through (11)
  • Grace (1)
  • Hearing God (11)
  • Passion (7)
  • Pinterest Pins (11)
  • Praise (8)
  • Prayer Journaling (140)
  • Prayer Tips (69)
  • Prayer Videos (3)
  • Press Releases (7)
  • Recipes (7)
  • Reconciliation (4)
  • Restoration (6)
  • Salvation (2)
  • Scripture (4)
  • Serving Others (2)
  • She Speaks (3)
  • Thankfulness (5)
  • Uncategorized (25)
  • Women of the Gospels (1)
  • Women's Ministry (78)

Archives

Latest Tweets

My Tweets

Recent Pins

Affiliations

She Speaks Graduate

Copyright © 2019 Gina Duke | Design by The Design Diva | Development by MRM | Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.