Don't Be the One To Give Up!

Please read Talk or Give Up as an introduction to this Bible study.

We aren't meant to be close friends with everyone, but we are commanded to do our best to live at peace. Christians should be the first to forgive and the last to give up on a relationship. 

Let these Scriptures encourage you to do your best. If you don’t feel like doing it for the other person involved, do it for the Lord, and He’ll reward you. 

1. If the other person is willing, we must be willing to discuss our problems.(1) 

The best way to end a troubled relationship is to refuse to discuss the problems. Disagreements can be difficult, but Christians are called to do everything we can to bring about peace. 

Romans 12:18: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

2. If we want to honor the Lord, we can’t ignore relationship problems. 

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

1 John 4:20: "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen."

3. We need to honestly and kindly express our concerns. 

If we break off a relationship without expressing our concerns, we aren’t giving the other person a chance to explain or repent. We must first judge our own actions and make sure our complaints are fair. Then, we should carefully and kindly express our concerns. 

Matthew 7:1-5: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." 

This passage does not mean that we are not to judge another person's behavior. It means we are not to judge them hypocritically, without first judging ourselves. For more understanding of this passage, read "Do Not Judge." 

Matthew 18:15: "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense."  

Galatians 6:1: "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself."
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(1) There are times when a non-family member wants an unhealthy relationship or behaves in ways that are inappropriate. God does not command us to be close friends with everyone. If we have made reasonable attempts to reconcile our differences without resolution, we should continue to treat the other person with grace and forgive them completely. However, we are not required to be their close friend. In fact, if the person is behaving hypocritically, immorally, or immaturely, we'd be wise to avoid them because "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

copyright 2013, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.blogspot.com

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