Broken Relationships

Researchers have determined that nearly 25 percent of people live with some kind of family estrangement.* Those damaged relationships take a mental and physical toll on anyone, but especially kids. If your kids have experienced broken relationships, they may exhibit bitterness, or they may put up emotional walls, preventing others from getting close. Also, you can help your kids understand that other kids may act in these ways because they may be hurting over broken relationships in their lives. In this week’s Brite lesson, kids learn about a broken relationship that ended in reconciliation. Help your kids see that there is always hope through Jesus. These broken relationships may seem impossible to repair, but our God is a God of reconciliation. When our relationship with Him seemed hopelessly broken, He made a way for us to be reconciled to Him through Jesus.

*For more resources on this topic, check out: https://pin.it/33vUhaefp

Here’s how we discussed this topic and how you can discuss it at home: 

Discuss: Have you ever gotten into an argument with a friend?

Discuss: What does it feel like when a friend or family member is upset with you?

Discuss: What do you think God has to say about that?

Say: You may have friendships or family relationships that have ended because of a fight or disagreement. Because we live in a broken world, sometimes our relationships with other people are also broken. This isn’t how God made things to be. It can be hard to live with broken relationships, but Jesus has made our relationship with God right again and He can help repair our relationships with others, too. Even when it seems hopeless, we can pray for those relationships. We can look to His guidance for how to make things right again. Romans 12:18 says: If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Sometimes relationships just can’t be fixed. Even then, we can trust God is still good and we can be grateful that His love for us never ends.