"A Broken Relationship, or Something Else?" Mesage by Steve Martin, Love For His People

 

(Photo by Linel le Roux in Judean desert south of Jerusalem, Israel 02.06.2026)

A Broken Relationship, or Something Else?

 

“Solomon said, “You were extravagantly generous in love with David my father, and he lived faithfully in your presence, his relationships were just and his heart right.” 1 Kings 3:6, The Message

 

We have all experienced the pain and hurt when a relationship, one we may have long held, no longer continues. Whether it's a misunderstanding, a lie, an incident one or the other doesn't want to “work it out,” or even just weariness from struggles that never seem to end, the friendship is over.

Companies fire employees. Marriages break apart. Parents and their children walk away from each other in bitterness and resentment. People leave churches, synagogues, and communities because of a “wrong word” or an “unforgiving action.” It happens so many times.

I think of those in the Bible who experienced this, as all of us have, where two who have walked together, worked together, did many things together, no longer do so. They no longer want to mend the broken relationship. Over. Done with.

It happened with David. It happened with Jesus. Paul and Barnabas, two apostles set apart from the local church in Antioch to go out together in ministry, parted ways after a big disagreement.

^“Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.” Acts 15:39, NASB

Are these always the work of the devil? Is it human nature that we have ongoing problems and can’t seem to get along with people? Is it due to pride, jealousy, wanting our own way, the way we want it? “My way or the highway!”

Sometimes. Sometimes not.

I have had two primary relationships where I considered “my best friend” turned their back on me. And it hurt. Forgiveness on my part, to protect my spirit and soul, was the only way to go to keep me from ongoing resentment, bitterness, anger, and not “burning the bridge”. It has also happened in ministry, which should be of no surprise to anyone by now – that ministries are not perfect, nor the greener grass necessarily.

Before Laurie and I got married in 1977, we told each other that we would never use the “D” word in our marriage. The commitment we made to each other, not having “divorce” as an option, has kept us together by our Lord’s grace, binding us to that commitment. We had to work things out.

A good friend of mine (and still is) recently spoke of how the Lord was taking him and me on separate paths. Is this a broken relationship? No. We both sensed that our time working together, in so many ways, was preparation for what now lay ahead for both of us. We will continue to support one another in His plans and purposes, but the time for each of us to “expand our tents” will lead us to do so on different pathways.

My prayer is for you to go the extra mile when necessary. Persevere in your relationships to keep them strong and lifelong. Families, churches, and synagogues need the Lord's unity to fulfill His Kingdom purposes. You are meant to be a vital part of that.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Message #4, 2026, “A Broken Relationship or Something Else?” Feb. 9, 2026, 2:30 pm

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