Imagine you are lost in one of your darkest moments and your best friend decides they can’t be there for you anymore.
What does that feel like?
What do you do about it?
I personally have felt this loss. Not only the loss of myself in the darkness but the loss of someone I thought would never leave.
I have experienced the feeling of a failed Christian in which I have fallen away from the things that I believed in.
I have made mistakes and entered into arguments that I shouldn't have.
I’m not perfect and I’m not saying that my sin is little and that I should fall back into these ways because I know now the way I lived before is not the way that I want to live now but there is one thing I wish the person that gave up on me would know.
I wish they would know that I still love them and I loved them amidst my heartbreak that was a result of them no longer wanted to be a part of my life.
I understand that you just wanted what was best for me but I felt condemned in the process.
So my fellow Christians, is it OK to give up on someone that you love?
Is it OK to give up on someone just because you feel stretched thin because of them?
Do you feel you have forgiven more than you can bear and sacrificed more than you should have for this person?
Do you feel like you have the right to judge them for their falling away?
The answer is no.
It isn’t your place to be the judge. God is the only judge.
And as far as forgiveness goes we need to remember what Jesus says about forgiveness.
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?” Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Along with forgiveness, we need to understand that it isn’t our job to fix people but to instead lead them to the God who is the ultimate fixer and healer.
The best way to do this isn’t to make people feel condemned before they feel the love of Jesus.
The best way to lead someone to their savior is to be a living testimony of His loving grace.
I know that you just want to help people see things your way but going about things wrong steers people away from the ultimate goal.
We all fall short. We all stumble. We have all fallen away from our God but that doesn’t mean that we all haven’t been given hope for the future because we have.
Jesus died on the cross for us.
So before you give up on someone it is essential to look at the bigger picture and seriously consider what Jesus would do in the same situation. What would your humble savior have to say to the people who have fallen away?
Would he lash out at them and leave them or would He stand near?
We have a God-given right to make our own decisions.
What will you do with yours?