Walking in Love
ICS Daily Devotions
James 5:13, 16 (NKJV) Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
It is the responsibility of the believer to pray when we are suffering. If we have issues with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to practise walking in love. Because of our different personalities, cultures, and backgrounds, there will inevitably be times when we rub one another the wrong way. When we feel offended by someone’s words or actions, we should respond in a biblical manner. First, we should pray for the person and examine our own hearts to determine whether we may be overly sensitive. If the offence is genuine, we should approach the person privately and speak with them face-to-face to address the hurt. If the matter cannot be resolved, we should bring along a godly brother or sister to help mediate. As a final step, the pastor may be asked to intervene (Matthew 18:15-17).
Normally, such matters should be resolved readily if both parties are spiritually mature and willing to lay down their lives, crucify the flesh, relinquish the right to be offended, and walk in love. Afterwards, they should take time to pray for one another concerning the unpleasant experience and close the gap so that the devil cannot divide and conquer. Healing comes when we deal with the matter directly—not by indulging in self-pity, or by speaking about the person behind their back, but by confessing our trespasses to one another and praying for one another. No hurt or pain inflicted by others can be fully healed unless we confront the issue and bring it to a proper closure.
If we or others are prone to dwell in self-pity and unresolved hurts, we should look to God or help others to do so. God should be the one from whom we draw strength. If God’s opinion matters most, then what others think or say need not unsettle us, provided our conscience is clear regarding our words and actions. The new creation realities of who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, and what we can do in Christ are liberating. Therefore, we must choose to embrace God’s view of us and place our greatest value on what He says we are in Christ.
We should not join others in self-pity, but instead lead them to Jesus Christ and to His redeeming Word. We live in a fallen world, so we will inevitably be hurt by others. If we allow people’s opinions, words, and actions to hold too much weight in our hearts, we will easily become hurt and offended. The healing of the soul will never be complete if we feel the need to keep processing every remark, comment, and action of imperfect people.
Reflection: What would it look like for you to practise walking in love in a difficult relationship?
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