GO BACK AND MAKE IT RIGHT

Do you owe someone money? Pay them back as soon as you can. Do you owe someone money from a long time ago? Pay them back. Is it possible that you owe someone money but you can’t remember for sure? Get in touch with the lender and straighten it out.

Did you say something to someone that you realize now was hurtful? Go back and apologize. If there are more than one of these instances, be driven in pursuit of humbly asking for forgiveness in every one.

Are there memories of people hurting you that still weigh you down? I have always told myself that in such cases, I have two choices: either truly leave it with the Lord who tells me to cast all my burdens upon Him because He cares for me, or go back to the one who did the hurting and be restored.

Have you stolen anything? Perhaps you stole it outright. Perhaps you took it rationalizing that you would take better care of it or it means more to you than the owner. Perhaps you took it meaning to give it back. If you took something from someone without telling them, it is called stealing. I believe that every effort should be made to return those things that you are aware of, and to consciously make a determination to keep your eyes open for the rest of your life to notice such items. Go back and make it right.

Do you remember lying about something? Did you tell a “half truth” and ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit afterward? Have you told lies and rationalized with the thought that it was the best way? If you can pinpoint specific times you lied to your spouse or your mom or dad or a friend or your boss…anyone…go back and clear the path.

How about keeping your word? Did you promise to be somewhere, do something, or commit to a person, a group, a family member and then have not honored those commitments? No matter whether it was done out of irresponsibility or because of conflicting schedule entries, if you have not owned up to it or apologized for it, you need to go back and do so.

I’ve talked about the “brick trick” for years and these kinds of things mentioned above are the very things…along with others…that contribute to the building of strongholds in our lives. Think not that if you lay down bricks of not paying back money you borrow that it builds a stronghold of irresponsibility with money only. It will indeed create such a stronghold, but the way it works is that all of our rebellion against God’s Word creates a tightly interwoven structure, comprised of bricks from all areas of our lives where we are lax and not hard on ourselves to be godly and above reproach.

Flop down on your bed and cry out to God to bring to mind things that need to be made right. He will do it. Spend a week dedicated to ascertaining if there are things you need to GO BACK and fix. Then, do it. Then, go on with your life and obey God even in little things.