Repair the damage quickly.

The picture shows a sister sincerely apologizing to another sister in one of their homes.

Has a brother or a sister hurt you to the extent that now there is damage to your relationship?

To repair the damage and remain friends, you need to act quickly and with the right motive.

The footnote reads,

Minor upsets should be settled privately and forgiveness should be extended freely.

Some serious personal offenses may require the assistance of the elders.

A Christian would seek such assistance, however, only after following the steps outlined at Matthew 18, 15, and 16. End a footnote.

To illustrate, a fractured bone must be treated so that it can eventually function well without pain. But the pain

will continue if the fracture is not given prompt attention. Worse yet, the bone may become

permanently misaligned and unable to function properly. Like a fractured bone,

a damaged relationship with a fellow Christian

should be treated quickly.

Otherwise, the pain of a broken friendship will continue.

Resentment could grow, and you may lose your friend.

Jesus said,

Be quick to settle matters. Matthew 5. 25. So approach your friend and talk

kindly but openly about the matter. Why might this be hard? Consider two reasons. First, you may be tempted to ignore the situation without resolving it,

perhaps because you are uncomfortable talking about problems.

The footnote reads,

If we are offended by a fellow believer but there is no damage to our friendship,

we may simply choose to overlook the offense.

...