Reconciliation is a theme of the Bible. God takes it very seriously. He reconciled us to himself through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Matthew 5:23-26 says, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” We are human, so it is only natural that at times we will disagree and strain our relationships. However, when we go before the Lord with bitterness in our hearts, we will not be able to worship properly.
This verse tells us to make right our grievances before worshipping. Why is this so important? When we are worshipping, if we do not have the right frame of mind, it will be difficult to fully worship with a clean heart. Bitterness eats away at the heart and mind and destroys the person it inhabits. You may have heard it said that bitterness only destroys you, not the one who you are bitter against. This is very true for the Christian. If you allow our enemy, the devil, to poison your mind with thoughts of unforgiveness, then you will never be able to worship God unhindered.