Don’t decide your giving emotionally, don’t decide it spontaneously, don’t leave it to chance, but do your giving with intentionality and purpose. God says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart not reluctantly (don’t be a scrooge) or under compulsion (don’t be manipulated by spur of-the-moment emotion), for I love a cheerful giver.”

You must plant seeds in order to get a greater return. The seed you keep is all you have, the seed you sow God multiples. Do you have a plan for sowing generously?

Some of us struggle with generosity because it’s unnatural for us to give away something valuable. Our view is when you give money away it’s gone. But God looks at money in a completely different way and if we grasp this iit will change everything about how we view money. God doesn’t see the money you give away as money that’s lost and gone forever, but instead as seeds planted and will produce a return.

Let’s pray this prayer every day for the next week:

“God, please heal the relationship stress fractures in my life. Help me to own my stuff. Give me eyes to see the needs of others.  Fill me with hope and empower me to extend grace, just as You’ve extended to me.  Amen.”

Jesus said this about reconciliation in  Matthew 5:23-24 “If you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar.  Go and be reconciled to that person.” The same mighty power that brought healing and hope and grace to Jacob and Esau is the same mighty power that can bring relational healing into your fractured relationships.

The first step we need to take is to take ownership of our sins that may have contributed to our fractured relationship. A second practical step you must take toward relational reconciliation is to shift our perspective. Are you viewing the stress fractures from your perspective or their perspective? Next, say you’re sorry, and then hold onto hope that the relationship can and will be healed.

We never know what the results will be when we attempt to heal a fractured relationship. Romans 12:18 teaches us if it is possible, as far as it depends on us, we need to strive to live at peace with everyone. “As far as it depends on you” means we need to do our part, knowing that it takes 2 to reconcile. We can’t control what other people will do. So, the Apostle Paul says, “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We need to do our part and pursue being a peacemaker.

One cause of relationship fractures is unrealistic expectations. Unhealthy models and unpredictable circumstances also contribute to stress fractures in a relationship. In today’s podcast we’ll explore this more deeply.

Maintaining healthy relationships isn’t easy. I love how the Bible is shockingly real in every area,  including relational conflicts. The Bible doesn’t try to sugarcoat them; white-wash them; sanitize them; hide them; or deny them. It’s ALL there... the good, the bad, the ugly. This week we’ll be diving into fractured relationships by looking at Jacob and Esau.

Staying free is a one-day-at-a-time thing. It takes daily Bible reading, daily prayer and confession, daily meditation on God’s word, and finding others to share our story with. When God uses you to help someone else who is struggling, your own life is further empowered by the Holy Spirit to walk in the freedom He made possible.

If you want to stay free you must respond to the Holy Spirit’s conviction with times of regular confession...to God, and to someone you can trust. James 5:16 (NLT) says, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” This is true freedom.