MORE EXPENSIVE THAN YOU THINK

KEY TEXT: Luke 12:58–59 (KJV) -“⁵⁸ When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. ⁵⁹ I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.”

The Bible tells us that when you have a conflict with your enemy, you should be very diligent when he takes you to court. If you are not diligent, you will end up paying all that you have. This diligence should not just be shown with our earthly enemies and affairs. It should also be exercised with our greatest enemy, who is the devil. If you are not diligent, Satan will end up taking all that you have, including your life. This is because he does not come unless he can steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10, KJV).

Let us not focus on Satan. Let us talk about our earthly enemies.

Matthew 5:23–24 (KJV) – “²³ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; ²⁴ Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

The best way to deal with an enemy is by first avoiding that enmity. The wisest way to handle conflict is to prevent it before you handle it (Proverbs 20:3, KJV).

Matthew 5:23–24 tells us that when our brothers or close friends wrong us, we should be the ones to go first and resolve it with them. Normally, when someone wrongs us, we wait for them to come to us before we go to them. That is often, and always, a result of pride (Proverbs 13:10, KJV).

When we wait for them to come to us instead of going to them, we risk paying a very large price. We risk losing everything, including the eternal life that Jesus has promised us. This is because a heart that has hate cannot enter heaven. You can only enter heaven with a pure heart and a clear mind (Matthew 5:8; 1 John 3:15, KJV).

We should follow the example of God, who, when Adam and Eve sinned, went to them and did not wait for them to come to Him (Genesis 3:9, KJV). If He had waited, they would never have come to Him. They would have sunk deeper and deeper into sin, and the world would be in a much greater mess than it is now. The human race would have no hope; everyone would result in eternal loss.

When we wrong our enemies, we should swallow our pride and ask for forgiveness from them
(Matthew 5:25, KJV). They may look like they have not acknowledged our petition, but they have acknowledged it. Even if they have not, you have played your part. When our enemies wrong us, we should first approach them after they have wronged us, try to resolve the issue with them, and forgive them.
(Romans 12:18; Matthew 18:21–22, KJV). They may be argumentative and fail to take accountability, but we should still forgive them, nevertheless.

When we leave issues in our hearts unresolved, they build up. Sometimes we are afraid of addressing them because we are afraid of looking petty. Go ahead and address them. Love for someone else should be stronger than your desire to maintain or raise the image you want to protect (1 Corinthians 13:5; Colossians 3:13, KJV).

“In life, there are two different types of people: those that make their feelings known if they’re wronged, and those that keep their feelings inside to avoid conflict. No matter which personality group you relate to more, the truth is that pretending everything is fine doesn’t make it fine. As much as you may want to, relationship issues can’t be wished away.” – Counsels on Relationships, Page 278.2, Ellen G. White.

“In many abusive relationships, the victim often shelters within a façade of relational joy, making others think they’re happy, safe, and well taken care of. This is called toxic positivity. It’s also shown when one or both people ignore issues in the relationship, cover everything in a fake smile, and hope things just “get better on their own.” In these types of marriages, you may hear things like, “Let’s not dwell on the negative,” or “It’s not that serious; we’re good, right?” Spiritually, God didn’t create relationships to be fake-safe zones. He calls us to truth and love, so if you notice any sign of toxicity in your marriage, go to God for clarity and discernment regarding next steps. No matter what lie the enemy tries to whisper in your ear, that next step with God will be completely freeing.” – Counsels on Relationships, Page 278.3, Ellen G. White.

Issues left unresolved and unforgiveness are very expensive. The Bible records in Matthew 5:26 that you may end up paying your uttermost farthing, and in Luke 12:59 that you may end up paying your very last mite. The reason why you are broke might be that you have many enemies. The reason why you are broke might be that you have an unresolved issue with one person in church, in your neighborhood, in school, or elsewhere. When I say broke, it does not necessarily mean lack of money—although it can mean that. It means lack of peace, lack of joy, lack of sound physical health, or lack of anything else for that matter (Isaiah 48:22, KJV).

Want to increase in abundance? Increase in forgiveness and letting go of grudges
(Luke 6:37–38, KJV). Conflict is very expensive. Enmity is more expensive than you think.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, search my heart and reveal any unresolved conflict or unforgiveness within me. Give me the humility to go first, the courage to reconcile, and the grace to forgive as You have forgiven me. Restore my peace, my joy, and my freedom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activity

1. Ask God to bring to mind any unresolved conflict you are avoiding.
2. Read Matthew 5:23–24 and Luke 12:58–59 slowly.
3. Write down one person you need to forgive or reconcile with.
4. Pray for them sincerely.
5. Take one step this week—call, message, or pray intentionally—to address the issue.

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14 (KJV)

Author: Mark Alex   

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