If Jesus was here today, he wouldn't be focusing his time on his devoted followers...he would be going after the lost, the confused, the downtrodden...I'm not saying he would ignore his loyal followers, certainly he would give teachings to all just as he did to large crowds in so many Bible stories, but many of the stories we hear about Jesus also involve him making differences in the lives of those who NEED to be turned around.
That being said, I have been struggling lately with how to properly show Jesus' love to those who are the lost, confused, and misled. Jesus told us to love everyone, and we should, but showing love doesn't mean that we have to drag ourselves down into the hole with those people. No, instead we are to stand as a beacon of light to show the way out of the bad habits or problems others may be facing. It has been so difficult throughout my life to see friends or acquaintances begin to live a life that pulls them away from God's calling to them, they follow people who only make them weaker rather than stronger, and rather than showing these people how to lead their own life in Christ...the person instead loses their own identity in Christ.
How do we help our friends or the people we see doing this? How do you properly continue to show love to this person when you become bitter or angry at their sudden change? I must admit, I do not know the answer, and every chance I have had in my life to steer a friend back to their faith has only ended in failure. As I face this confusion and disappointment once again, I am still at a loss of what to do. What I am praying for is that God gives me the grace, patience, and love needed to be firmly standing behind this person throughout this time in their life...and I am asking God to help me to be accepting if they ever decide to turn back.
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