Daily devotional, 22 June 2024 The wayward
“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him”
Luke 17:3
We have met at least someone in our life who has been more rebellious than normal, who seems at ease with breaking the rules. A person who seems to have a numb conscience. And while we may have exerted efforts to reach out and point them to Jesus, they may have shrugged as off and continued with their ways.
As followers of Jesus, we must not lose heart even if our efforts to help are shunned by a person who seems to need a lot of help.
"if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted”
Galatians 6:1
The bible says we are to help each other remain in Christ’s love and presence. And so, when we see someone going astray, especially a person whom we know to be once seeking God, we should exert efforts to bring the person back to the fold.
"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
James 5:19-20
It is also highly possible to want to bring someone to Christ, because apart from living a wayward existence, this person has never encountered the presence of God. And while this may be harder to do because there is not a foundation of faith in his spirit, we must take heart that nothing is impossible when we pray fervently to God.
"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10
As we encourage the lost to come to Christ, we must keep in mind that their hearts might not be open at once to hear about the Gospel, or anything about God. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle St. Paul warned that the wayward may have been blinded already by their worldly desires such that they will not have the urge to read the Word and follow Christ.
"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
So how do we lead the lost back to Jesus? First is to pray with all our hearts that we be forgiven of our own sins and that we can help others come to Christ without having to judge them.
We then approach them and invite them to a chit-chat over some snacks, coffee or a light meal so that the atmosphere will be relaxed. Make sure to listen intently to his or her stories and be genuinely interested in everything he has to say. If he opens up about his problems or lifestyle, then just listen and do not judge. Slowly inject then in the conversation your invitation for him to go to church or attend a bible study group with you.
Be prepared if He will decline the invitation and just thank him still for his time, adding that in case he changes his mind he can call you any time. If his answer is that he is not sure if he can go then, just make sure to follow up a couple of days prior Sunday or the group study get together. Do not be too pushy though.
If he answered yes, then make sure to pull all stops to make him really attend and make him comfortable in church or the study group or both.
It may not be easy to lead someone back to Christ but it is worth all the effort. We may need to invest time, money, patience, and even social capital but saving a soul is worth all that. Apart from being able to please God for showing concern to others, God is so gracious to promise us that our efforts will not go to waste.
"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 and Luke 15:3-10 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you know of someone whom you like to lead back to Jesus?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, please empower me to do my best to bring the lost to you. Please do not let my heart be disheartened. I want to praise you and let them know that you are the Messiah and that they can have a new life in you. Amen.
