Relationships!

Relationships!

James 5:16 AMP

[16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

Human relationships are complex. You may approach a relationship with the best of noble intentions; it is not a guarantee that the other person will do the same. You may get out of one and go into another, but carry on with you the baggage, bitterness and hurt of the previous relationship into another one, and the new one also becomes toxic. It may not have been the plan for things to go wrong, but due to many factors, things do actually go very wrong. How do you initiate a relationship the right way? How do you ensure that things remain on the right course, even when the desires are not always aligned? The verse above gives some insights into some ways we can stay connected the right way, dealing with offence and misunderstandings, without losing sight of what is critical and important. 

As we are all human beings, it will be close to impossible not to offend each other. Even parts of the body that should work together may sometimes clash, but the greater good keeps all the parts working together to achieve a common goal, which is the health and well-being of the body. If this applies to the physical, picture the great impact this makes to the spiritual. No part has been made as all-sufficient. No part has been made to stand on its own, without needing any help or support from another. The ears need inner parts to function properly, and it is also pertinent to maintaining stability. Just Imagine the disaster when one part decides to stop depending on that which another part is expected to supply, and wants to stay on its own. As unique as each part is, the beauty of impact is seen in co-dependence and cooperation. That is the image that is laid out clearly in the verse above. 

It takes maturity to be open and vulnerable to someone else, but check out the benefits that lie at the end of that openness. The verse above refers to healing and restoration as some of the benefits that come from being open. The verse above then takes a view of the power behind prayer. In fact, it appears to me that God is saying that in order to pray the right way, there must not be any weight or obstruction to the effect and impact of the prayer. Why bother praying when I have not even done the basic minumim? Why bother asking God for His help in big things, when I have not asked men to hold me liable and accountable for even minor things? In the hands of God, there are amazing things that can happen when His will is allowed to run unhindered. God wants to move, but He will only do so when the hearts of men are open to His leading. Give up pride; let offences go. There are more things to gain with peace, than with war. May God help us. God's time of favour is here..