Thursday, May 25, 2023

He really did love them

but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”  John 10:38

Have you ever really wanted to sincerely help someone know the truth, but no matter how hard you tried and no matter how kind you were, it just didn’t seem to make a difference.  I’m sure it made you feel frustrated and although your intentions were good, you may have even started to get a little tense because of the resistance.  I have been in situations where I felt that I could help someone see that even though they thought they were a mature believer, their conversations always seem to end up in gossip and condemnation for others.  At first, I felt like I had to stop it and control it when I was around it, but then one day, the Holy Spirit spoke up on the inside of my heart and said:  You don’t have to try to “fix” everyone.  Wow!  This was such freedom, and I instantly felt the relief of a burden that I didn’t need to be carrying in the first place.  Although it was up to me to not let myself get pulled into the negative conversations, I didn’t have to let others know that I didn’t approve of their talk.  It was almost like I had a knowing inside that if the Holy Spirit isn’t talking to that person about their conduct, then I certainly don’t need to be.  Sure, the Holy Spirit probably was, but that is His job, not mine.  This has helped me many times since then.  When I become tense or even irritated about a conversation that I hear other believers engaging in, I quickly remember that I don’t have to “fix” or correct them.  I can walk away, or I can pray silently if I am confined in that circumstance.  Mostly what I try to do is gently steer the conversation in a direction that is uplifting and edifying for everyone involved.

In today’s scripture, Jesus is talking with the Jewish leaders and they once again are trying to corner Him into saying something that they can charge Him with.  When you listen to Jesus’ response, you can hear His love for them in His words, and that He truly does want them to believe and understand why He was sent into the world.  He is not trying to argue or belittle them.  He talked about things that were prophesied in the Old Testament and then He told them to look at the good things He was doing because He was sent by His Father to do good.  As much as He tried to help them, they refused to believe and ultimately, they ended up condemning Him.  It is truly a sad story but still goes on even today.  Sometimes no matter what we do there are still some that will not surrender their heart.

There is good news though.  When you do your part and follow the direction that the Holy Spirit gives, you are not the one responsible for the other person’s decision.  You can try to help all you want, but the fact is, you cannot choose for anyone but yourself.  When you do your part of loving people, praying for them and letting them know that the God of the universe has made provision to save their lives, you are no longer responsible for their decision.  It is only when you don’t tell them that you will be held accountable.

So, today I want to encourage you to pray for people.  Pray for hearts to be softened.  Pray for opportunities to share the love of God with other and pray for lives to be changed.  You don’t have to fix people, but you do need to tell them that there is a God and Father that loves them and wants to walk through life with them. Then they make the decision for themselves. Be a witness and testimony today but when it comes to making the decisions, that is the Holy Spirit’s work, not yours.

Today’s scripture reading: John 10:31-39

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 

32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 

35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 

36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 

37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 

38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” 

39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.