Make It Right First
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” – Matthew 5:23-24
Worship matters to God, but your relationships matter too. And in Matthew 5, Jesus gives us a strong reminder that if you’re holding on to conflict with someone, or if someone is holding something against you, it might be time to hit pause on worship and go make things right.
Think about how serious this is. In the middle of offering a gift to God, Jesus says to stop, walk away, and handle the issue. That’s how high a priority reconciliation is to Him. God’s not just interested in your songs or your prayers if your heart is still poisoned by bitterness, division, or unresolved hurt. He wants your worship, but He wants it to come from a clean heart.
This is about both sides of the equation. Whether you did something to someone else or they’ve got something against you, Jesus is calling you to take the first step. Don’t wait for them to move first. Be the one who pursues peace.
The truth is, when your horizontal relationships are broken, your vertical relationship with God is going to feel off. You might be in the right environment, hearing good teaching, singing powerful songs, even praying hard prayers. But if there’s hate or pride or unforgiveness sitting between you and someone else, you’ll feel that disconnect. God’s not trying to make you feel guilty. He’s trying to free you.
Instead of just adding more time in prayer or listening to more sermons, the most spiritual thing you could do today is send a text or make a phone call. Own what you need to own. Offer what needs to be offered. Forgive where you need to forgive.
God doesn’t just want worship from your lips. He wants peace in your heart. And sometimes the first step back to Him starts with a step toward someone else.
Worship matters to God, but your relationships matter too. And in Matthew 5, Jesus gives us a strong reminder that if you’re holding on to conflict with someone, or if someone is holding something against you, it might be time to hit pause on worship and go make things right.
Think about how serious this is. In the middle of offering a gift to God, Jesus says to stop, walk away, and handle the issue. That’s how high a priority reconciliation is to Him. God’s not just interested in your songs or your prayers if your heart is still poisoned by bitterness, division, or unresolved hurt. He wants your worship, but He wants it to come from a clean heart.
This is about both sides of the equation. Whether you did something to someone else or they’ve got something against you, Jesus is calling you to take the first step. Don’t wait for them to move first. Be the one who pursues peace.
The truth is, when your horizontal relationships are broken, your vertical relationship with God is going to feel off. You might be in the right environment, hearing good teaching, singing powerful songs, even praying hard prayers. But if there’s hate or pride or unforgiveness sitting between you and someone else, you’ll feel that disconnect. God’s not trying to make you feel guilty. He’s trying to free you.
Instead of just adding more time in prayer or listening to more sermons, the most spiritual thing you could do today is send a text or make a phone call. Own what you need to own. Offer what needs to be offered. Forgive where you need to forgive.
God doesn’t just want worship from your lips. He wants peace in your heart. And sometimes the first step back to Him starts with a step toward someone else.
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