Keep Going. Redemption Takes Time
Watch Lecrae’s story and you’ll meet a man who didn’t come to Jesus easily or quickly. People in his life tried to point him towards God. “Are you saved?” someone asked. “No!” was his answer. “Try reading the Bible,” his mom said. Angry, he ripped his Bible apart. Then one day, a friend invited Lecrae to go to a Christian conference with him. Thinking it would be a good chance to see the big city, he agreed. And that’s when Lecrae finally started to pay attention to God. That’s when he finally started to change.
“Should I keep at this?” Sometimes people ask me that. They’re pouring all kinds of time and energy into people, and it doesn’t seem to be making the smallest dent. There’s no visible change in them. No openness to Jesus. My answer? YES. Don’t give up. Keep caring. Keep trusting that God is working through you. You are making a difference, even if you can’t see it yet. So love relentlessly, and don’t give up.
Action steps:
1. Go looking for hope. It’s our teammates who help us stay in the game when we’re tired. Get in touch with your Christian friends and ask them to share stories with you about people turning things around and coming to Jesus. Ask them to pray for your and for the friends you’re reaching out to.
2. If you know someone who’s struggling with insignificance, I encourage you to share Lecrae’s story with that person. Ask them what they thought of his story.
This story has been very encouraging for me. There is someone dear to me that I sant to see serving the Lord, at time I get get frustrated reaching out and I feel rejected and ready to give up. I realise that it does not happen all at one time. I will sow some seeds, I will water some plants and leave the outcome to God.
Maintaining your faith and patiently waiting to see results is the most difficult part of evangelism. My friend who was a former drug addict reminded me this morning God had to send countless individuals to lead him to Christ. If the Christians in my friend’s life tried to push my friend to accept Christ too early, he knows for certain he would have turned away and would have never discovered a relationship with God. My friend’s real life story demonstrates our desperately need for God’s wisdom and patience in evangelism.
You are certainly right Kahu. It is incredible to reflect on our past and see how our Heavenly Father has been passionately pursuing us every moment of our lives. It is unfathomable how even when we despise and reject God, He is will not relent. Have you ever been pursuing a relationship with someone who continually shuts you out? Eventually you give up on that relationship. This is what is most incredible about our heavenly Father. Every waking moment of our existence He is passionately pursuing us and orchestrating circumstances in our lives to draw us closer to Him.
Even as Christians, God is still pursuing us and will not relent until He has all of our heart. As you read these words to this song by Jesus Culture ask your heavenly Father to reveal to you how he is unrelenting in his passionate pursuit of your heart.
You won’t relent until you have it all
My heart is yours
I’ll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy demanding as the grave
Many waters cannot quench this love
Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one
I agree I may have been just like your friend. Eventhough, I do consider myself a Christian I find it hard to believe everything I hear. However, I have learned that life’s circumstances are the best teacher to anyone seeking our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Just like most, my eyes were opened when I saw the blessings of wisdom my friends were getting and I wanted to be apart of what ever it was that changed them. Again I do believe that Our Heavenly Father can not move unless we move first, no one else can move the heart of man only that special circumstance that he must go through before he is able to hear the word of our Father.Just think everyone has their own story of how they Got saved, not necessarily by man,but by the coming out of a storm will his heart be open to hear the word of our Father. just saying