It’s so easy to look at the small world I am involved in and see the sin, the pain, the brokenness, the messed up relationships, messed up thinking and become really discouraged and wonder if the Gospel really is powerful over everything. I’m one that tends to react by getting impatient with the person and almost be a bug in their life. over the past few years it’s been a real journey for me to see sin, dishonesty & many other things in people and not feel like I am the one to set things straight and to show them their faults. To often I’ve “spoken the truth in love” yet kept pressuring like their salvation depended on me.
The Truth is, God needs none of us to carry out his work here on earth, he doesn’t NEED any of us! God is the God of the universe and too many times, just like I have been sometimes, we are actually in His way! Like the song by Casting Crowns puts it-“The world is on their way to you, but they’re trippin’ over me”
You see, we are obligated out of sincere Love for each other to stand by each other and point out sin in our Christian friends lives and to share the Gospel with our unbelieving friends, but the minute we think it all depends on us we are basically trying to play a roll that only God can play. Share the Gospel with your friends, but let God do the saving work, speak truth in love to a believer but let God do the saving work. Simply put, stop trying to be God! When this truth really hit me was when I looked around and saw just how crazy this world is, all the brokenness, sin, hurt and it’s easy to feel hopeless and feel like i have to do something about it, yet I can only see a tiny tiny tiny drop in the bucket of all the sin, pain and hurt that goes on around the world! God sees ALL the pain, hurt, sin and whatever else goes on .How do you think He feels? Hopeless? Angry? NEITHER! God IS hope! He responds out of love and sends His only begotten Son to die for me and you so that all who put their faith in Him have eternal hope!
So the next time you are feeling hopeless about just how messed up the world you interact in is and are tempted to try to play God’s role in your friends lives, just remember, God sure was patient and merciful with you! Besides, who are you to feel hurt or anger because how messed up some of your friends are? God has wayyyy more reason to be angry, yet he responded out of love. Shouldn’t this be our example?
Love your friends! That will mean some tough moments of speaking Truth about sin in their lives sometimes, but speak Truth and let God work out the redemption.
Sometimes we need to get out of the way and let God be God!