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Reconciliation First, January 11
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that
thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the
altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come
and offer thy gift.
Matthew 5:23, 24
.
When our duty is so plainly marked out, why do so many church members
go contrary to a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” and speak of their difficulties to
those who know nothing in regard to them or in regard to those whom these
difficulties concern? Jesus the great Teacher, has told us what our duty is. Our
gifts, our prayers are not acceptable to God while we leave this duty undone,
and let the poison of envy, evil-surmising, and jealousy, take possession of
our souls, and spoil our union and happiness. Oh, how much unhappiness
would be spared, and how many evil thoughts would be quenched, if believers
would take up the work that Christ has said must be done to prevent evil
thinking and evil speaking.
A few words of explanation might change entirely the views of those who
have been at variance, cherishing bitter feelings. We cannot be obedient to
the law of God until we put out of the mind all differences, until we allow
our hearts to be softened and subdued by the Spirit of Christ. Our prayers are
hindered by our pride of heart, by our refusal to confess faults and to remove
wrong impressions.
We are to make every effort in our power to remove every stumbling
block from before the feet of our neighbor or our brother. My son [Edson],
make every concession that it is possible for you to make. Do not leave
on a suffering mind a misconception that an advance in humiliation and
tenderhearted interest would remove. Satan will be sure to come to that mind
with the temptation to misconstrue and to make a mountain out of a molehill.
A mind that easily stumbles over hurt feelings will conjure up mistaken ideas
of all kinds.
The Lord Jesus has given special directions as to what each of His “little
children” is to do. When we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those that trespass against us,” do we do our part to answer this prayer? ...If
our brother has ought against us, we are to leave on the altar the gift we have
brought to God, and be reconciled to our brother. Then we are to come and
offer our gift. This is the only way in which we can keep in our hearts the
peace of God.—
Letter 12, January 11, 1903,
, to Edson White.
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