Grace and restored relationships

Genesis 33:8-9 And he said, What [meanest] thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, [These are] to find grace in the sight of my lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

It has been said that if you want to restore broken relationships, gifts are very powerful in doing so. But we see a precedent here where Esau did not want any gift from Jacob in order to restore their relationship.

Those who do not know the story, Esau gave away his birthright to Jacob in their younger days. Jacob also disguised himself as Esau and took the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau when their father Isaac asked Esau to cook him some meat. From that day, Esau sought to kill Jacob. However, 20 years later, Jacob still thought Esau was angry at him, and yet God had dealt with Him. He was more melow and calm than before.  

It was because Jacob found grace before him that he received forgiveness and not by the gift he brought. We see that scenario played again by the majority of people today. In fact, the medieval church played it onto the people. They advocated that people should pay large sums of money for their dead to enter paradise. In away that may not be so today, but people are replacing that with heavy Offertory trying to appease an "angry" God for the wrong they have done in that week. 

I remember doing some of those things in my earlier days before I got saved. Of I happened to "sin" a lot in a certain week, I would render that most humble posture I could on the Sunday as I went to church. I would actually start on Saturday by avoiding watching or listening to anything that is not God pleasing. Sunday comes, I offer a gift of money to God, and somehow, the heart could feel relieved. I would stay in that "holy" mode until about Tuesday until my flesh could not resist, and I would go back to the usual youthful lusts that I did not like to do. And the cycle would repeat itself.

I do not know if you are in such a stage of trying to appease an angry God or angry relations with every kind of payment you could think about, but simply come and embrace the grace of God in Christ Jesus and you will be set free and renewed. 

Further scriptures 

Proverbs 21:14 GNT If someone is angry with you, a gift given secretly will calm him down.