Rectify

Have you ever struggled to make something right, to fix something that seems unfixable? You can’t replace that one-of-a-kind vase you break. You can’t re-choose something you chose a week ago and, in the process, deeply offended a friend. You can’t learn what you think you should have known twenty years ago no matter how much you study today. You can still rectify a situation or relationship. You can facilitate the healing process, but you have to make an effort. Rectifying is never passive.

When you rectify something according to God’s guidance, it might not seem as if you’re doing enough to help the situation or restore the relationship. On the other hand, it might seem as if God is leading you to be exceedingly sacrificial. You might do what God guides and not see results. You might do what God guides and see results far more extensive than you ever thought possible. The difference between your efforts and God’s efforts in rectifying a situation is monumental. When you’re obedient, your efforts and God’s efforts complement one another. You move together toward the same goal.

God is carrying the majority of the burden. He guides. You respond in obedience. He provides. You trust. Regardless of the end results, when you have trust and been obedient through the process, you can find reassurance through the rectification. In the end, it is God and only God who can ultimately rectify our lives. We trust him in the details of situations and relationships, but we need to rely on him for our lives as well. He knows how to use the messes. Only he can fill the gaps and fix what seems unfixable: you and me.