If you are like me, you have experienced the pain of broken relationships. In fact, I am quite confident that it is an experience held in common by every human being.

Broken and damaged relationships can burden the heart, dampen the spirit, and suck the joy out of life. In my 30 years of ministry, my heart has often ached as I have watched men and women allow bitterness and resentment to take root in their lives. 

I have also been amazed at how many Christians will do almost anything to avoid reconciliation…to keep from cleaning up the past. They comfort themselves with the rightness of their cause. And they remind themselves often of their presumed innocence in the matter. 

My friend, I want to challenge you with a thought today. And it is a very important thought that is vital to your spiritual vitality. That thought is this:

The inward work of God’s grace in our lives…the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation that we receive from the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ…must be expressed in our outward willingness to make restitution to the ones we have wronged. 

Let me put that another way. The inward work of Christ in salvation and forgiveness must be manifested in our willingness not to just say “sorry” and move on as if nothing had happened, but to right the wrong we have done.

Jacob is a wonderful example of this. Nearly 20 years after stealing his brother Esau’s birthright, Jacob’s heart was touched by God. He knew he had to make restitution…and he had to do so at his own personal risk.

We read in Genesis 33 that Esau went to Jacob (at Jacob’s invitation) with 400 men. When Jacob learned that Esau had brought 400 men with him, he was frightened out of his mind, not quite sure what Esau would do!

But even through his fear, Jacob persisted in seeking reconciliation with his brother. He was willing to risk it all to make things right with Esau.

In verse 3 we find Jacob going out to meet his brother, bowing down seven times and calling Esau, “My Lord Esau.” In that culture, this was a sign of tremendous respect and humility. 

Jacob had also sent ahead droves of animals as an extraordinary gift of reconciliation. Through the gifts, Jacob was saying to Esau, “This is my way of making restitution for what took place 20 years ago.”