God Rocks #10: Healing for Hurting Relationships

Part of the series “God Rocks: 101 Amazing Everyday Gifts!” Stories and promises of the awesome blessings God gives us each day. I hope it encourages you today!

Divorce in our country is rampant. Over half of all marriages end in it. And by far the majority of serious relationships implode before they ever get to marriage.

Photo: Bert Kaufmann

The results are lives devastated. Families destroyed. Friends divided. Hearts broken. Confidence crushed.

Feeling as though your soul has been torn out. Your insides ripped apart.

Often it starts with a thoughtless comment or action. That’s followed by a sharp response. Retaliated by additional actions and words. Until the relationship spirals out of control.

Each feels the other one started it. Each one waits for the other to apologize and make amends.

Each thinks, “Well I’m not the one to blame.” And you know, they might be right. But the destruction is still just as real.

Yet, in the midst of this brokenness Jesus offers healing.

He says, “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5: 7 NIV)

But how can we follow this? When we’re hurting the last thing we feel is grace for the one who hurt us.

But, this promise builds on the previous one we looked at. That when we hunger to be forgiven and made right with God we are.
And as we remember that forgiveness and grace we’re changed. And we begin to be filled with grace for others.

Because we see their failures through the realization of our own. We may see them as flawed but recognize we are as well.

And when grace begins to flow out of us to those we love they often give it back. The cycle of hurt is broken. It stops escalating. We stop seeking out who is most to blame. We can just give grace and move on.

Then our relationships can begin to heal. We find the love we once had which has been forgotten in all the hurting. We rediscover what we love about that person and rekindle that relationship again.

And in the midst we find peace. Peace in the relationship. And peace in ourselves as we realize God’s forgiveness to us is real. So real it’s changing us from the inside. And that brings us even more confidence.

And the relationship grows as grace increases upon grace.

God’s grace in our lives produces grace in us for those we love.

When have you seen this grace of God produce grace in you for someone you love?