Hi everyone, I hope you’re all fine by God’s grace and your passion week (Holy week) is going on smoothly in The Lord. Today’s post is aimed at helping us to help our friends when we’ve already tried everything.
When I was in high school I had a friend whose life seemed to be really complicated. Not only did he have family issues, but he apparently had problems with self control and anger management. He had difficulties walking with God and trusting Him at all times. Every single problem which came his way, made him believe that he wasn’t destined to serve God. If I recall properly, he even thought his parents never wanted him, nor did they love him.
I guess we’ve all had at least one friend in life, whose story was so sad and who had still so much to learn about God’s love for him/her. I don’t know how you dealt with such a friend but I can tell you what I did.
I did what almost everyone tries to do when his/her friend has a problem. Speaking to the person, counseling, encouraging in The Lord, helping with what I could. I tried and tried, but my friend never changed.
At times, it’s not just our friend’s character that we want to change. Perhaps there are financial issues we try to settle on our own. Some other times, it’s food we have to provide for them, or a shelter. There are other moments where it’s all about their health and we can do nothing about it. In other cases, they have psychological issues and though we try our best to speak to them, nothing changes.
When you’ve tried everything to help your friend to:
- Quit a particular sin
- Change his /her life
- Choose better relationships
- Let go of drugs
- Turn back to God
- Abandon the idea of suicide
- Stop cheating
- Quit pathological lying
- Believe in God
- Live a pure life……. etc
When you’ve tried everything to help your friend in any of such aspects, but are still seeing no change, don’t be discouraged.
In fact, learn from people, who were ready to do everything for their friend to get well. They did the one thing that was to be done, by going to The One and I’ll person who could really Help.
Mark 2:3-5, 11-12 NIV
Some men came, bringing to Him(Jesus) a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
These men wanted to help their friend, they wanted the best for him, so they gathered all their energy and their brains, to bring their friend to Jesus Christ.
Matthew 15:30 KJV
And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:
That’s what was done when Jesus Christ was here on earth. Those who heard of Him and believed He could help them, brought to Him all there desperate cases. They cast them down at Jesus’ feet and He healed them. Today again in prayer, we can bring to God our “desperate” cases.
What’s the big lesson here? You may have tried everything with your own strength for your friends, but it’s high time to learn to bring them to Jesus Christ and to trust Him. He will take care of them. Do not rely on your own ability to help or change someone, rely on Jesus Christ.
- Only Jesus Christ can change them
- Only Jesus Christ can save them
- Only Jesus Christ can set them free from their addictions
- Only Jesus Christ can give them peace
- Only Jesus Christ can love them as they need
- Only Jesus Christ can heal them
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
So, stop lamenting because you feel powerless with respect to your friends. Take them to The Lord in prayer, and leave them there. Don’t let it bother you any longer, if you handed the matter to Jesus in faith, He’ll take care in His time.
To end the little story, my friend hasn’t changed yet. He’s still violent, he’s still agressive, he still has to learn to submit to God. Nevertheless, I am not bothered (sleepless, worried, sad) any longer, because I know that I took him to Jesus Christ in prayer, and in His time God will make a way.
God works in mysterious ways, and makes a way where there seems to be no way.
Prayer
Father Lord God Almighty, I thank you for your love and mercy. Help me always bring my friends to You in prayer and with faith, so that You may incline their hearts towards You, heal them, and draw them closer to You. In Jesus Christ’s Name I pray. Amen
God bless you all
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Thanks for reading.
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