Restoring Others is Godly

DIY restoration projects have been a 'go-to' for those seeking to make old things new. What about spiritual restoration-do we desire to restore the person who has done wrong? Nope!  This week our Devotional team tackles this all-too-common challenge called, “Restoration!” Meditate on this scripture and may its conviction humble you.

A young girl sat at the edge of her bed crying because her daddy was angry with her. She had done the unthinkable and then lied when confronted about it. Overall, she was a good girl, never getting in trouble, not running with a bad group, and maintained great grades. However, in a moment of indiscretion she made a horrible decision and got caught. As her dad ranted and raved, she sat crying and wondering how can I fix this? The young girl and her dad were all each other had and she thought their relationship was strong. However, dad was angry and embarrassed and had not stopped yelling since he picked her up. The young girl was distraught. As she sat in her room listening to her dad pace back and forth yelling and talking to no one. She wished her mother was alive. Mom always knew how to calm dad. Mom always knew what to say. The young girl thought, what would mom do; what would mom say? At that moment, through her tears, the young girl started to pray.

She knew that’s what her mom would do first. Praying was foreign to her because she always said the standard prayers in the morning, when eating, and at bedtime. Her prayers were very generic, and she really didn’t know what to pray for. So, she started there and asked the Lord to help her pray. She knew the Lord’s prayer, grace, and the childhood prayer, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, but this required more. Oh, she thought, I should ask for forgiveness. So, she confessed her sin to the Lord and asked Him for forgiveness, then she asked that she could forgive her dad for some of the mean things he said about her and to her in anger. She did not want her dad to be angry with her nor did she want to be angry with him. His words were venomous and hurtful, and they cut her deeply. Is that what he thought of her? One mistake and he throws me away? She told the Lord how that made her feel. Memories flooded her mind of her dad’s past mistakes, but she shook them away and asked the Lord to help her focus.

Through tears and tissues, she repented and prayed for forgiveness and restoration. And she believed that the Lord would answer her prayer. Drained, she fell asleep. Later that evening, her dad knocked gently on the door. He came in and sat on her bed. He knew she had been crying and he knew he went overboard and had hurt her with his words. Dad took the young girl in his arms and asked for forgiveness. He too, had been praying and crying and now a broken dad had come to her to be restored. The young girl really didn’t know how to respond but listened to her dad. After he finished speaking, she too asked for forgiveness and the two began rebuilding what had been broken.

At some time in life we all will need to be restored. Restoration is a part of life. As we live and breathe, we also err. For some, past decisions have damaged others or even themselves. Some people live with the consequences of bad decisions for decades struggling with obesity, disease, broken family, incarceration, and bitterness. However, when we fall, we all want forgiveness and restoration, but we also must be willing to forgive and restore others. Rebuilding and restoring is a godly act, although it can be painful. Rebuilding and restoring is a needed act, although it can take time. Rebuilding and restoring is a kind act that requires patience and humility. The Bible tells us that it is our duty to restore others. Just as God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, He has also given us the ministry of reconciliation. (2nd  Corinthians 12-21)

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father we come to You asking for forgiveness for not forgiving others. Forgive us, Lord, for holding the trespasses of others over their heads while expecting our trespasses to be forgiven. Lord, we know that broken relationships require restoration and that You expect us to restore others. Thank you for Your example of restoration. Lead us Lord and guide us so our desires will line up with Your precepts. Thank you for the pruning, rebuilding, and the restoration done by You towards us and help us to remember to do the same for others. In the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
By Sis. Pat Towns