What do you do when you have raised your children the very best you can and have been a family in the church trying to live like a Christian. And one or more of your children left the church when they grew up and left their family going out on the own?
What do you do? Preach at them? Quote Bible scripture to them every time they come in your door?
Or do you think it is better to live your life before them, expecting that yes, they are going to sin. And just pray for them instead of hounding them with what they really don't want to hear.
Not that we condone what they may be doing. But understand what the Bible says in Isaiah 53:6:
All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, each of us, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
I mean, who doesn't sin? We all do. Even as we truly love and try to live our lives according to God's Word. We still sin.
My dad loved the Lord with all his heart. But he wanted his sons to know Jesus. And so, as they grew up, they wondered away from God and got into drugs and alcohol. My oldest brother died when he was in his early 50s. I am not sure if he ever did go back to the Lord. He lived in another state at that time, and I didn't really have a relationship with him.
My other brother is about 68 now and the last time I saw him, several years ago, he had pretty much become a drunk. I do not have a relationship with him either and assume he probably is still a drunk. He left us as a family and for years before dad passed, we didn't see him. Now that dad has been gone for quite a few years, we again have not seen him.
And I wonder if my dad could have just not hounded them with his own love for Jesus, perhaps his own judgement of their lifestyles, would they have turned out different?
My parents did the best they could. I have no doubt about that. They saw that we were in Sunday School and Church. And they loved us. And they sure can't be held responsible for how my brothers have turned out.
I just pray that as I watch my own family members that don't know Jesus, as they continue in life that I can be a witness to them by my daily living and not badger them with a holier than thou attitude. I want them to see Jesus in me and want what I have because they can see Him working in my life.
And in the meantime, praying for their salvation. That doesn't mean that I don't hide what I believe when they are around. Sometimes I can get a word in giving God glory for what he has done in my life. And after my husband passed, I was talking to my son that lives in another state and I said to him, "Thats why we need to be ready to meet Jesus because we never know when our time will come."
End of that particular conversation. And he did not respond. But I pray that it gave him something to think about.
And so, we can either try to shove God's word down their throats every time we see them, or we can gently step where we go and let God work on their hearts. Because, the thing is, if they are not ready to receive what we have to say, it could do the opposite of what we are hoping it will do. I think it's better to let God do the work of the heart. He is the one that calls each of us. Even though as parents it can sometimes weigh heavy on our own hearts to watch our kids go their own way.
But that is my own opinion. Maybe I am right. But then maybe I am wrong. All I know is that God is faithful all things, in no matter what my life brings to me.
We all make mistakes. We do the best we can, and we pray a lot.
Thanks for coming by today, Friends. Have a blessed day. Next post date will be 2/14 and the subject that day will be on:
Unicorns!
What? Please come back to find out about these creatures.
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