Imagine a roadblock the size of the Empire State Building! That is the kind of proportions we are talking about when the Ever Given cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal on March 23rd. This blockage affected the entire world and held up billions of dollars in goods by almost a week.
The Ever Given blocked shipments for the entire world, but have you ever had something create a barrier in your friendship? Maybe it wasn’t the size of the Empire State Building but it seemed just too big to be resolved. Friendships are supposed to be free-flowing between two people. What do you do when there is a roadblock in your relationship? As usual, the Bible has the answer for us.
- Seek Harmony with All People
Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 1:10, that Christians should not have divisions or grudges against other Christians. Romans 12:18 tells Christians that we need to live peaceably with everyone! Harmony is important in relationships because not everyone is like you, but when we put Jesus as our goal, our differences begin to melt away because of the unity we have through God.
- You Should Forgive People Just as Jesus Forgave You
The second way to get past roadblocks in our relationships is simply to forgive. Jesus taught us with His model prayer in Matthew 6:12 that we should forgive others. In Ephesians 4:32, Paul again taught that you should forgive others, if for no other reason than because God forgave you!
- If Essential, Confront a Problem so that You Both Can Move Forward
When you have a problem with another person that you need to resolve and they need to make a change in their life to fix it, Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:15 to go and tell them. Do not tell other people, tell the person who made the mess because maybe they don’t even realize that they did it!
- Maintain a Mindset to Restore Your Relationship
You must always have the attitude of wanting to resolve the relationship! Paul told Christians to desire restoration in Galatians 6:1. He says that those who are spiritual, or mature followers of Jesus, need to reestablish the people who seek to be restored. Simply put, you must forgive them and not hold the offense against them!
You are not perfect and neither is anyone else. When someone goes against you, try to remember that you go against God and He is faithful to restore you. Should we not try to follow our Savior and have a desire to restore people like Jesus did for us?
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