Reconciliation Requires Rehabilitation

If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.
–Galatians 6:1

Before we can be reconciled with somebody, we want to know that we’re not going to be hurt again. We want to know that our offender has changed.

There’s a difference between sorrow and rehabilitation. A lot of people are sorry for the consequences of their sin. I’ve talked to wives who separated from their adulterous husbands, and they say, “Ever since I moved out, my husband has been so sorry, and now he’s begging me to come back.” I’ve said, “Do you think he’s repentant, or is he just sorry he doesn’t have anybody to wash his clothes, cook his meals, and sleep in his bed?”

Rehabilitation means being sorry enough to change your behavior. As Paul said, “The sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Before we rebuild our relationship with that adulterous mate, that abusive boss, or that lying friend, we want to see some evidence of rehabilitation.

In Galatians 6:1, Paul described how to handle fellow Christians who are caught up in sin. He said, “You who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” The Greek word translated as “restore” refers to the mending of a broken bone. If you break your arm, you have to put it in the right setting for it to heal, and the process takes time. It is the same way with a Christian who has sinned. To be rehabilitated, that Christian must be in the right setting. If they sinned against you, then you don’t need to be the one trying to rehabilitate them–other Christians need to work with your offender toward spiritual healing. And the process will take time. It may take years to rebuild trust in that relationship.

Sometimes we’re not the victim; we’re the wrongdoer. If you hurt somebody else, don’t be surprised when the person you’ve hurt demands repentance and rehabilitation from you before they will consider reconciling with you. In the end, it’s up to them whether that relationship will be restored.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Forgiving People You Never Want to Eat Lunch with Again,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2015.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.