Until the one giving the gift is at peace with the person who is more significant to God than the offering, the gift is unacceptable to the Lord. To seek forgiveness from God without first asking forgiveness from people the Lord has put in our lives is contradictory. Before we ask God for forgiveness in heaven, we must first beg the person we insulted on earth for pardon.
Who clouds your mind with worry about a broken relationship during worship or prayer? Who does the Holy Spirit bring to your attention as someone you should be wary of? Perhaps you said something careless that made a friend feel bad. Or perhaps you failed to ask someone to a special event, leaving them feeling uninvited and unwelcome. Maybe a business partnership failed and you need to apologize for being greedy. Go right away, be contrite, and beg forgiveness. Your level of walk with Christ is demonstrated by how long it takes you to seek reconciliation.
Until hearts are mend, forgiveness cannot remain still. Love is accompanied by initiative. Writing down your thoughts and the way you want to communicate your contrite heart can be useful at times. Sending the written correspondence is entirely optional, but at the very least it serves as a roadmap for your chat. Also, be sure to acknowledge your wrongdoing by refraining from stating, "If I have upset you." Rather, say, "Please accept my apologies for hurting you. I sounded irrationally enraged. My apologies. Godly sadness helps the offended party forgive you much more easily.
Sure, your efforts to make amends may be rejected, but you cannot give up on someone until your Lord and Savior, Jesus, has done so. Also, it could be necessary for you to make amends before there can be reconciliation. Pray about how you may make up for what you lost so that your friend won't feel used. Be incredibly generous with your repayment, just like Zacchaeus (see Luke 19:8). Most importantly, when you make the effort to serve as Christ's minister of reconciliation, you honor Him.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:12-19)
Ruo mgbe onye na-enye onyinye ahụ ga-adị n'udo n'ebe onye Chineke nọ karịa onyinye ahụ, Jehova anabataghị onyinye ahụ. Ịchọ mgbaghara n’aka Chineke n’ebughị ụzọ rịọ mgbaghara n’aka ndị Jehova tinyere na ndụ anyị na-emegiderịta onwe anyị. Tupu anyị arịọ Chineke mgbaghara n’eluigwe, anyị ga-ebu ụzọ rịọ onye ahụ anyị kparịrị n’ụwa ka ọ gbaghara anyị.
Kedu onye na-etinye uche gị n'ichegbu onwe gị maka mmekọrịta emebiela n'oge ofufe ma ọ bụ ekpere? Ònye ka Mụọ Nsọ na-eme ka a mara gị dị ka onye i kwesịrị ịkpachara anya? Ikekwe, i kwuru ihe na-akpachapụghị anya nke mere enyi gị obi ọjọọ. Ma ọ bụ ikekwe ị gwaghị mmadụ ka ọ bịa nnọkọ pụrụ iche, na-eme ka ọ na-adị ya ka a kpọghị ya na nke a na-anabataghị ya. Ma eleghị anya, mmekọrịta achụmnta ego dara na ị ga-arịọ mgbaghara maka inwe anyaukwu. Gaa ozugbo, nwee mwute, rịọ mgbaghara. A na-egosipụta ọkwa gị na Kraịst ga-ejegharị site n'ogologo oge ọ ga-ewe iji chọọ ime n'udo.
Ruo mgbe obi ga-adị mma, mgbaghara agaghị adịgide. Ịhụnanya na-eso ụzọ. Idetu echiche gị na ụzọ ịchọrọ ịkọwapụta obi gị nwere mwute nwere ike ịba uru mgbe ụfọdụ. Izipu akwụkwọ ozi edere bụ nhọrọ kpamkpam, mana opekempe, ọ na-arụ ọrụ dị ka map ụzọ maka nkata gị. Ọzọkwa, jide n'aka na ị ga-ekweta ihe ọjọọ gị site n'ịghara ịsị, "Ọ bụrụ na m akpasuwo gị iwe." Kama nke ahụ, sị, "Biko nara mgbaghara maka imejọ gị. O were m iwe na-enweghị isi. Mgbaghara. Mwute nke Chineke na-enyere onye ahụ e mejọrọ aka ịgbaghara gị ngwa ngwa.
N’ezie, e nwere ike ịjụ mbọ ị na-agba imezi ihe, ma ị gaghị enwe ike ịgwụ mmadụ ruo mgbe Onyenwe gị na Onye Nzọpụta gị, bụ́ Jizọs, mere otú ahụ. Ọzọkwa, ọ nwere ike ịdị mkpa ka ị megharịa tupu enwee ike ime n'udo. Kpee ekpere ka ị mata otú i nwere ike isi meghachite ihe ahụ i mejọrọ ka enyi gị ghara ịdị na-eji ya eme ihe. Nwee mmesapụ aka nke ukwuu site na nkwụghachi gị, dịka Zakịọs (lee Luk 19:8). Nke kachasị mkpa, mgbe ị na-agba mbọ ije ozi dị ka onye ozi nke ime udo nke Kraịst, ị na-asọpụrụ Ya.
Ya mere, ebe anyị maara oké egwu nke Onyenwe anyị, anyị na-eme ka mmadụ kweta; ma e mere ka anyị pụta ìhè nye Chineke; ma atukwasiworom obi na anēme kwa ka ọ puta ìhè na akọ-na-uche-unu. N'ihi na ayi adighi-aja onwe-ayi mma ọzọ n'ebe unu nọ, kama nēnye unu ohere itu isi n'ihi ayi, ka unu we nwe ihe izaghachi ndi nānya isi n'ile anya, ọ bughi kwa n'obi. N'ihi na ọ buru na ayi anọghi onwe-ayi, ọ bu n'ebe Chineke nọ: ma ọ buru na ayi nwere uche, ọ bu n'ihi unu. N'ihi na ihu-n'anya nke Kraist nērugide ayi; n'ihi na ayi nēkwu otú a, na ọ buru na otù onye nwuru n'ihi madu nile, mb͕e ahu ha nile we nwua: ma na Ọ nwuru maka madu nile, ka ndi di ndu we ghara idi ndu nye onwe-ha ọzọ, kama ka ha diri Onye ahu Nke nwuru n'ihi ha, we bilie kwa ọzọ.
Ya mere, site n'ub͕u a ayi amataghi onye ọ bula dika anu-aru si di: e, ọ buru na ayi amawo Kraist dika anu-aru si di, ma ub͕u a ayi amataghi kwa Ya ọzọ. Ya mere, ọ bụrụ na onye ọ bụla nọ na Kraịst, ọ bụ ihe e kere ọhụrụ: ihe ochie agabigawo; lee, ihe nile aghọwo ihe ọhụrụ. Ma ihe nile sitere na Chineke, Onye mere ka ayi na Ya onwe-ya di n'otù site na Jisus Kraist, nye-kwa-ra ayi ozi nke ime-udo; N'ezie, na Chineke nọ n'ime Kraist, nēme ka Ya na Ya onwe-ya di n'uwa dum madu bi, nāgughi ndahie nile ha n'aru ha; ma nye-kwa-ra ayi okwu nke ime-udo. (Gụọ 2 Ndị Kọrịnt 5:12-19.)