Free To Love

Myles Weiss

We are called to be "ministers of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18).  It is our privilege to introduce people to the messiah, Jesus. We are further called to help people be reconciled to one another. It is a gracious gift, part of our walk with God, to enjoy the satisfaction of seeing His peace established (Philippians 4:7) and His love increase between folks (Romans 5:5).

After years of counseling in a variety of contexts, I am convinced that the dynamic of repentance and forgiveness is virtually a "re-start button" in human relationships.

Whether in marriage, as parents, with friends or extended family, forgiveness plays a central role in helping us be free and full of love for one another.

The question naturally arises, "how can I reconcile with another, and how can I teach those in my sphere to do this with each other?" So often our attempts at "getting it together" wind up being superficial and unsatisfying. Let's look at a Holy Spirit inspired set of steps that anyone can use. It is drawn from the tried and true approaches to relational health that I call "God's Greatest Hits", which my wife and I have taught for years in our marriage seminar entitled "From This Day Forward".  As soon as you know you have hurt another (which takes honesty and a measure of humility) go to that one and employ these Steps to Reconciliation.  Respond to the following with clear, concise statements without any explanation or justification for your behavior: