Four Keys to Restoring a Broken Relationship

Restoring a Broken RelationshipHow do you restore a broken  relationship? Many of us have a relationship that has died. You didn't plan it. You don't like it. You wish things were different. It just is.This broken relationship haunts you like the garden you planted with so much hope but now lies dormant with stunted plants and choked by weeds. It started with so much hope but is now an embarrassment. The best remedy you have is to ignore it...avoid walking by it so you won't feel so bad.  But deep down you know there  is more you could have done...maybe even more you can do right now. You just don't know what and you are not so sure  it's even worth your time if you did.

How to Restore a Broken Relationship

Thankfully God gives us a perfect model for how to restore a broken relationship. Maybe you've never thought about it this way but Jesus didn't rise from the dead so we could live forever. Jesus rose from the dead so God could be in relationship with us forever. The resurrection was the last step in God providing a solution to the broken relationship that existed between God and humanity.Here are four keys to restoring a broken relationship that God  modeled for us;

1. Great Love - You can't seek to restore a broken relationship half heartily any more than you can restore a garden half heartily. You have to be "all-in" from the start if you want to have a chance. The Bible tells us that God "SO LOVED" the world that he sent his Son. (John 3:16). God's love was the driving force to restoration. You need that as well.
2. Deliberate Action - Love isn't passive. It acts. Love isn't an emotion. It's something you do. God DEMONSTRATED his love for us by moving toward us, not away from us (Romans 5:8). Many people hope for the best but never do anything to make the best happen. You need a plan of action.
3. Servant Humility - I don't like humbling myself when I'm wrong. And I don't think I should have to humble myself when I'm right. The person in the wrong needs to take action, not me. Thankfully God didn't have that attitude. The Bible tells us that Jesus emptied himself of his right to being God (Philippians 2:5-8), humbled himself like a servant, and willingly died to put things right between us. If you really want to repair a relationship you'll need to lay down your pride and your rights. You've got to do whatever it takes.
4. Amazing Power - One of the main reasons people don't restore a broken relationship is because it's dead. There is no life. There is no hope.  There is nothing in them that motivates them to move toward the other. That's why we need God. In fact, we need him for all four of these keys; great love, deliberate action, servant humility and now power. He's got what  we need. Reconciliation is a divine act. So don't give up on a broken relationship just because it's dead. Give God a chance to breathe his resurrection life into it. You might be amazed at what rises from the dead.

Question: What are the biggest issues that keep you from restoring a broken relationship? Have you ever seen  God resurrect a relationship for you? I'd love to hear back.To learn more about broken relationship check out my new book, STUCK...how to mend and move on from broken relationships. Download the message (audio/text) Restoring Broken Relationships here.