A dear friend of mine
is at the end of her rope - trying to help a person in trouble. I wrote this to
help and encourage her today:
You can only do so
much for people in situations like this. You cannot save them - they HAVE TO
RISE UP ON THE INSIDE FOR THEMSELVES. I know you know this, but so many fail in
the healing process because they want others to do the hard work for them.
...And it is very hard work to break bondages. No one can win these victories
for us - we must find the strength of God and character inside ourselves, or
the victory will never "stick." We go round and around the same pole.
Broken people are
always looking for "saviors," or "messiahs." Stronger
people who will "save" them when they don't want to do the hard work
of overcoming for themselves. Kind friends can be sucked into the losing battle
of trying to help - in the end they get worn out and abused.
There is only one
Savior - He has done it all, and His victory is more than enough for every sin
and brokenness. His Salvation is free...but it will still cost us our lives to
change from our pathetic and broken wee selves into champions of His grace.
Victory can only come
from daily decisions to walk in wholeness and holiness despite the cost - these
are moment-by-moment, day-by-day, year-by-year choices that arise out of the
seemingly ordinary situations we find ourselves in. Slowly we build pathways of
grace - out of our darkness and into His light...but the old self is lost in
the process and all that He has intended for us to become - our destiny - comes
into view. We can no longer hold on to those lies, addictions and habits that
framed our former selves. We are, indeed, made new.
What your friend needs
is a vision to hold onto of their true destiny and identity in Christ; a Church
that will be patient with them - all the while, not putting up with all the
games that go along with this struggle to become whole; a strong commitment to
this war and its many battles - this includes a commitment to Christ, His Word
and the relationship of life that only He can give; Grace.
The love you want to
show to your friend must be filled with these things - full of grace...yet
grounded in uncompromising truth. An honest seeker will thank you for it and be
changed by it.
God bless you as you serve
her as Christ would serve her. Wash her pain, but hold her to the enduring and
unyielding holiness of God. None of this means that we cannot falter at
times...but He makes it possible for us to stand up again and again in the face
of every mistake, injustice and suffering. NOTHING is strong enough to negate
the power of His blood or the supremacy of his grace in anyone who has the
audacity to fling themselves upon Him.
