And, not or

God is the God of “and,” not “or.“

I have learned that God is the God of “and,” not “or.” Nothing is limited in Him and all things are possible with Him. God doesn’t love, bless and forgive me but forsake you. He is the God of “and,” not “or.” He loves, forgives, heals and blesses you, and He loves, forgives, heals and blesses me, even if you and I once hurt each other.

Apply this to your life: Could your situation – the one that rubs so harshly between you, like bone against bone – be “and”, not “or?” Couldn’t your experience be true and their experience be true? Could it be “and,” not “or”? Could there be validity in each? Things are complicated. Not everything is as black and white as our minds and pride might prefer.

Thankfully, God knows how to take complex, oddly shaped, uncomfortable things and redeem them through His love, to work together in love for our good and His glory. Our minds can’t comprehend it but God can clean, heal, purify and realign relationships, patching them together beautifully. But we have to loosen our grip, release our pride, extend our trust, open our hearts and watch Him, and wait on Him. When we do, He turns beauty from ashes.

Likewise, in my life I have learned that, unless there is a clear right and wrong as laid out in the Bible, when we as friends jump to “or” thinking in support or protection of our friend, who is in a disagreement with another, we do not truly support them as we may stunt healing and reconciliation. As friends or family, we do not have to “pick sides.” We can actually be peace-agents and used by God when we ask God to show us and guide us in His love for both.