Is everything square between us?

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“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled with your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
Matthew 5:23-24

Emilto, one of my house framers, is carefully measuring diagonally both ways across the garage wall he is building, checking to see if it is perfectly square.  He wanted to do this before he added plywood sheathing and we stood the wall up.

Why?  Because the wall must be square and level or nothing would fit properly, not the roof, the doors or the windows. And sure enough, Emilto found that the wall was not square and we spent a good half hour getting that wall lined up properly.  When it was done squarely, that wall was a thing of beauty!

In human relationships, we have a question we ask to check if all is right between us.  It is, “Is everything square between us?”  In other words, is our relationship sound, are there any attitudes that cause it to be out of kilter?

Jesus tells us in today’s verses that when we are coming to God in prayer, if we remember that in one of our friendships all is not square between us, to leave our time with God and go and be reconciled with our friend.  For if our relationship with our brother and sister is not square, our relationship with God can not be sound.

How are your relationships today?  Are they all square?  Are they sound?  Or is God calling you to get something right with your brother or sister?

Because God has loved you and me in Christ Jesus, you and I can love one another.  Because our Lord has resolved our differences with Him by sending His Son on the cross, you and I can repent and forgive freely with others.

Holy Spirit, convict me where I need to get square in my relationships with others.  Thank you that you have straightened out our relationship with the blood of Jesus so that I can be straight with others in the love You have given me in Christ.  Amen.

Text and Picture Copyright Steve Nickodemus