…He was wounded for our transgressions… – Isaiah 53:5, Amplified Bible (AMP)

What do we do when someone lies to us, cheats us, or wrongs us in some way? Our natural tendency is to fight back, to defend our honor, and to vindicate ourselves. In addition, we desire to break all ties with that scoundrel someone, removing permanently from our lives the inconvenience of looking at the source of our irritation.

Depending on the circumstances, the right thing may very well be to defend our honor and to break ties with that scoundrel someone. But before we do, we need to ask God if defending ourselves and breaking ties is indeed the right thing to do. God may desire for us to maintain contact at some level with that person, and He may want us to continue suffering wrong in order to be a source of light to someone in darkness.

Thankfully, Christ did not write us off the first time we wronged Him. Just as He suffered wrong after wrong from the Israelites on His way to the cross, He suffered wrong after wrong from us before we finally heeded His call to salvation. Still, there comes a time when Christ, after so many rejections, stops calling to the sinner. Therefore, even Christ has a “last straw” that, once reached, prompts Him to cut all future ties with the scoundrel. (See Romans 2:4-5, 2 Peter 3:8-10, and Amos 7:8.)

When faced with the decision to abandon a relationship over a serious wrong, consider deeply the value of a soul. If, upon prayer and meditation, God prompts you to stay in contact with the offender in order to keep Christ in front of him or her, be sure to obey, no matter how uncomfortable it is. But, if God shows you that the last straw has been reached, then cut the ties. Just be sure that you are cutting ties because it is God’s will for you to do so, not because your pride is hurt. If hurt pride is your motivation for abandoning the relationship, then you may be serving yourself rather than God with regard to that person.

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