2 timothy 2:22-26
22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
this verse just jumped off the pages at me. i love epiphanies. just had one…loved it. so here is what i’m understanding.. if someone does NOT believe in the hope of the Lord, we must gently instruct them..THEN.. here comes the epiphany.. give it to GOD. do nothing! He is the one that will transform their hearts and lead them to their knees in repentance, not us. i think we spend time trying to “fix” our friends and family members instead of spending time praying for God to fix them. i’ve spent enough time exhausting myself over my lost friends and family members, i’m casting my cares on the Lord and trusting that His will for my friends and family members will ultimately happen in His timing. i’m trying to devote myself to prayer for them, not control over them. i may know that God’s ways are better but they have not come to that glorious revelation… yet.
whether it is your best friend that has gone astray or a father that is lost in his addictions, we are called to do one thing. love them. don’t judge them, don’t yell at them, don’t become enraged with their actions. love them. be enraged at the sin in their lives but understand that it is not up to you to fix them. Jesus didn’t judge, he loved unconditionally. as children that understand the Gospel, we must love them too.
i can’t promise that this is an easy thing to do. we are called to DAILY pick up our crosses and follow Jesus. so for me, EVERY DAY i pick up the burden i carry for my father and i pursue Jesus. not because He will take away the pain, but because He makes the pain bearable. what cross do you need to pick up everyday? is it for pain caused by a father? a best friend? take it up and cast your cares upon Jesus, he is your only source for redemption, grace, and survival.