20060126

hurt in process

i have always felt that the church needed to do everything in its power to help people deal with life issues, and i still feel that way. as a community of faith we must be ready to help people process life, and help them over come issues that can be distructive to their lives. it is not that we "beat them to change" but that we invest our lives in them to help them change. yet one must ask, at what cost? do we help people at the cost of the community? do we allow people to be in process and allow them to hurt the lives of others? can we allow the negative of one in process to distrutp the lives of others in the communiyt? can we, in all grace, love a person and not allow them to distroy the world around them? this is hard, because i have always felt that we need to leave the 99 sheep to save the 1 sheep.

that is where the hurt comes in; what if the one you are running to save is simply not a sheep and is showing no desire to be saved? you see, the call is for us to be willing to risk it all for a sheep, a "follower" a person who is seeking at some level a redemptive life in christ. but, do you leave the 99 to chase after a "sheep" that is unwilling to come in and unwilling to change their heart? this is what i am processing today.

3 comments:

spamthewunderdog said...

"Don't give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them with their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces."

I think that it is ok, personally, to not continue trying to help those who do not want yor help. The truth is, they are NOT in the process at all.

Darryl said...

not sure i could offer a good formula or anything for when to pursue and when not to but i am pretty sure that the hurt part is right. Hope that never dulls for you, John

Jeffrey said...

mmm. good process. i would imagine that will roll around in ur head for several months (at least). i know it will in mine.