“I love restored relationships. Jesus died so that you could be restored to Me. It is My heart that you follow His example. His death was physical. To restore relationships, it always takes the death of someone’s choices. Someone must pursue the other in love. First, begin in prayer for the other party. If you have offended someone, seek forgiveness immediately and often until you have done all that you can. If he will not forgive you, turn him over to My heart. He will eventually deal with Me. You come to Me for forgiveness. My freedom will sustain you.

"If you have been offended, you must forgive that person immediately in your heart. Let Me work on his heart. Place the offense in My hands and be healed. If he is receptive to My hand, restoration will come forth. If and when that happens, wait on Me to tell you how and when to proceed. I will accomplish far more than if you would move without My presence. Be ready for My appointed time. Pursue restoration diligently in prayer but move in My freedom until it happens. When I orchestrate My appointed time, you say and do what I have told you to do in your prayers. Be humble. Forgive completely. Forget the offense by the power of My Holy Spirit. Move on in My love once I have begun restoration. Find a way to trust again at every opportunity.”

Matthew 5:23-24 NIV

23) “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24) leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother: then come and offer your gift.”

Luke 15:19-20 AMP

19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] make me like one of your hired servants.

20) So he got up and came to his [own] father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently].

John 7:6-8 NIV

6) Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.

7) The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.

8) You go to the Feast. I am not yet going up to this Feast, because for me the right time has not yet come.”

John 15:12-14 NIV

12) “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

13) Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down his life for his friends.

14) You are My friends if you do what I command.”

Acts 24:15-16 NIV 

15) …and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

16) So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

God is always looking at the heart of His children. Love is always at the center of all that He does. He has given us the mandate to love others as He has loved us. Words and actions mean nothing if His heart motives are not the heart motives of all that is done in any situation.

The Word is very clear on how we should act when offenses take place. When people or situations make things muddy, however, we first need to know what Father has in mind for that specific situation. Diving into His presence and remaining there until we receive positive instructions that are in line with His Word are prerequisites, or we will move in our own motives and possibly cause greater harm. Once we have His heart and His timing, we can express His love properly in the confidence that He is with us.

Help me to seek Your heart in everything, Lord,

Jim Corbett