Broken Fellowship

We had drama in the house this morning. Our youngest daughter, 7 years old, is very picky about what she wears. Everything has to match and everything has to fit just right. This morning there was drama over her shoes. If it were up to her she would wear flip flops every day. Today was no exception however it was cold outside and my wife told her she needed to wear her boots. The boots would both match her outfit and keep her feet warm, a win-win, or so we thought. Nope, the boots did not feel right, they did not fit right and on and on it went. I came into the situation about the time we needed to leave for school. I saw the situation, tried to handle it calmly but it was to no avail. I had to raise my voice and let her know that if she did not get the boot on right away there would be trouble. She refused to listen so I grabbed the wooden spoon and popped her on her rear-end. This worked, believe it or not. The boots went on and the tears started to flow.

A few minutes later we were driving up to her school. As we approach the drop-off area she will typically lean up from the back seat and give me a kiss on the cheek. This morning that did not happen. She was mad with me and refused to even say good-bye when she got out of the car. As I drove off it broke my heart. I do not like broken fellowship with any of my kids or my wife but it happens from time to time. The same thing can happen with us and our relationship with God. I believe that God desires to fellowship with us but many times we do things to break that fellowship. Take a look at I John 1:

I John 1: 1-10

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

These verses say that sin breaks our fellowship with God and that confession of that sin will restore our fellowship with him.

My desire is to restore fellowship with my daughter this afternoon. I feel sure she will apologize, wrap her arms around me and tell me everything that she has been up to today. I think God desires the same thing from us. He desires to fellowship with us but we have to understand what breaks that fellowship and how we can get it restored. Don't wait another day, restore your fellowship with God today.