From Foes to Friends

rec·on·cile

/ˈrekənˌsīl/

verb

restore friendly relations between (Oxford Languages).

If you read the news today it seems as though no one can be friendly with one another right now.  Were there ever friendly relations with each other to begin with?  There needs to be a lot of relational restoration in order for there to be any healing.  God is in the business of reconciliation.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God on that fateful day in the garden the entire human race was doomed to be His enemy.  "But God," two of the most powerful words in the Bible, paved a way for us to be reconciled to Him.  Christians just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ which marks an important turn of events between God and mankind.

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! (Romans 5:10, NIV)

God made peace with us through His son Jesus Christ.  Therefore, we are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17).  God then, in His grace, gives us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).  We get to join God in "restoring friendly relations between" God and the people we serve!

What does that look like practically in ministry?  It can be an unsaved person wanting a brand new relationship with God.  There is no greater joy in ministry than leading someone to Christ.  It can also be a saved person experiencing brokenness in their life due to poor choices they have made or have been brought upon them externally through no fault of their own.  Helping someone own their new creation through discipleship can be exciting as well.  Or maybe there is that person that just gets under your skin.  How can you restore friendly relations between you and them?  After all, if we are to be ministers of reconciliation we should be proactively reconciling with those we work with day in and day out shouldn't we?

Since it is the beginning of camp season I can't help but think about reconciliation in light of camp.  Christian youth camps are the best environment where broken relationships between God and students or students and other people can be restored.  Aren't you glad Jesus is making things new including relationships with Him and others?  I know I am and I am glad to be a part of it.