James 5:19-20
My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I bumped into an old friend of mine at Wal-Mart, and we struck up a “pick-up-where-you-left-off” conversation. We both realized that it had been a long time since we had last spoken – too long for such good friends to fail to communicate. The busyness of life, kids, family and work obligations has taken us in opposite directions. But more importantly, we’ve stopped trying so hard to make regular connections. So life happens and friendships change… what’s the big deal? The problem I see is that this friend and I used to regularly encourage each other… emotionally and spiritually. This was an important bond for both of us… and helped to keep us in check, even in our daily walk with Christ.
As I read this scripture passage today, I thought of those we lose contact with – for whatever reason. I particularly thought of those who drop off our radar screen and seem to take a different path completely. Maybe they once sat beside us several Sundays a month at church… and now they never go at all. It could be that they were so on fire for Jesus a few years ago… and now they are enamored with the latest round of self-help gurus. Or perhaps you have hardly seen this person in months – or years… and when you do, he/she avoids you. What could have passed between you to cause even a minor tiff?
Stop and think about the people you encounter… and those who are central to your daily living. Has the makeup of your “inner circle” changed? Ask yourself what happened. If you find that you have allowed disagreements or something petty to create distance, ask God to show you how to at least try to repair the damage. People get busy… interests change… friendships come and go. But if you have allowed relationships to wither… or neglected others because of your own self-centeredness or personal agenda, you probably need to take a second look at this situation.
Do you notice who is absent from your life… and do you know why? Has it been months since you visited your grandparents or that cousin who was so important to you when you were kids? When was the last time you picked up the phone and called your good friend from high school who lives across town? How long would it take you to write and send a note, e-mail message, or text to someone you have not seen at church in a while and tell them they are missed? What sort of dialog do you suppose you might spark with these simple actions? Could your small gesture of care, concern, grace, mercy and/or forgiveness be the catalyst for some sort of rescue?
Has anyone ever said to you…“Your call/note/hug came at just the right time!”? We can’t possibly know what is happening in others’ lives every minute of the day… but God does. Ask Him to direct you… to show you who needs your pursuit. Position yourself to facilitate a “relationship rescue.” Go after those who have wandered away. Let them know that they matter – to you, and more importantly, to God. Preventing the “epidemic of wandering away” begins with one step… will you be the one to take it?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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