God wants us to become like little children so he can be a father to us. He wants us to be like little children not just to him but also to one another. It is impossible for a loving father not to want to cultivate and protect a loving family environment where all members of the family share a mutual love for one another. The creation of a spiritual family, a true human community, is therefore also a top priority for our heavenly Father. This in turn means that the highest agenda for us must be the cultivation and preservation of genuine relationships, first with God the father and then with our brothers and sisters. In the second part of Mathew 18, Jesus gives us instructions on how to preserve healthy relationships with others in situations of conflict. In the first place he encourages communication. Communication is when you explain to the other person the effect that their actions had on you. Often, when someone hurts us, we do everything but communicate: we accuse, we judge, we insult and we push them away. This is when conflict becomes a quarrel. Conflict is inevitable, but quarrelling is optional. If someone tries telling you that you hurt them in some way, however badly they may communicate this, be sure to listen and hear their feelings. You don’t have a right to defend your actions until you have really listened to them. The other necessary ingredient for relationships is grace. You must be willing to forgive and keep no record of wrongs. Those who choose to withhold forgiveness bring themselves into conflict with God because God never withholds forgiveness.
Think about who you need to communicate with and who you need to forgive.
Read Matthew 18:15-35
