God knows the motive of the heart
Q: My best friend all through school and college – best man at my wedding, godfather to my children – has turned on me with no explanation. I’ve searched my heart to see what I might have done to cause the destruction of a treasured friendship. He blocks me on social media and has even relocated his residence. I am devastated, shocked, and feel helpless to correct whatever has happened to cause such a reaction. I feel that this also has hurt my own testimony since people tell me the horrible accusations he has made about me. How can a Christian deal with this? — L.F
A: Some of our greatest hurts come from broken relationships. Often people will do most anything to correct the wrongs, except pray. God knows the motive of the heart. And when we call someone’s name in prayer, He listens.
God’s will is for us to live at peace with everyone (see Romans 12:18). But sometimes in a broken relationship, the door seems closed forever. Marriages suffer, children rebel and run off, fathers abandon their families, business partners turn away in anger, and yes, friends will sometimes forsake us.
When someone rejects us and absolutely refuses to have anything to do with us, we can’t force them to change. But we can — and should — do everything we can to keep the door open to reconciliation. We shouldn’t strike back or condemn; instead, we should pray for them and trust God. Perhaps the relationship, in time, will be restored to the glory of God.
We cannot change the person we’re estranged from, but God can. Even when the door seems firmly closed, God is able to open it. We should do all we can to restore broken relationships, and trust God for the outcome.