I dont even know where to begin with this passage below - so many directions to take! It brings up many emotions for me - from serving at church and giving 110% in doing my part in setting a place at church where folks can come, be comfortable and to experience God. Maybe they have never experienced God before and they are needing answers in life - maybe they have grown up in church and its been years since stepping foot into Gods house- Maybe - they are there because family has dragged them there and this is the last place they want to be. Whatever reason it may be, part of my serving is to do whatever it takes to remove the excuses of not staying and not coming back. God will take their hearts if there is any openness about a person to accept what God is doing in their life. Maybe God is not a part of it at all - but God enters hearts and lives everyday and in the most awesome ways.
1 Peter 3:15-16
15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
Over the last few years I have grown in my faith to the point where I am ok with talking with folks, inviting people to church, continuing to ask them and listening to the excuses and false promises of coming but I am steadfast. I continue to ask and do so as lovingly and as accepting as possible. I have been on both sides of this fence!!! I know they will run out of excuses and one day - maybe even this Sunday - it may be that family down the street that shows up to church after a year of inviting them. It will be Gods place and His way to pull them near Him. I have done my part in inviting and I have done my part in serving to make a place for them to come and experience God.
But there have been tough times. There have been hard conversations with family members and friends. There is nothing I can do to change their minds about things and that is something the God gives us - free will. We can help each other change - change our diets, exercise and growing spiritually or in our education but accepting Jesus is a personal decision. Each of us has to make our own decision. We are not sharing God love to get anyone to agree with us - we are just facilitating the big decision that each person must make. Accepting Jesus or not.
We are called to love one another regardless and accepting Jesus has made me even more aware of this than ever before. I want to share what God has done with me - how He has changed my life. How He has changed my family and has surrounded us with just awesome folks. Folks I would do anything for because I know they would do anything for us. Its relationships all surrounding the love of Jesus.
Only you can make your own decisions concerning God - This is Gods business between you and Him. Only He can turn on the light - Open eyes and open hearts.
We are to love and pray for one another - always hanging onto the hope that God gives us that we wont leave anyone behind. If you ever become part of Gods family - you will understand how each of us feels about the lost folks and family in our lives. There is nothing more important than our salvation - your salvation.
Press on loved ones.... leave nobody behind.
With love,
Randy~
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