“Let’s love people enough to help them leave their own pity parties so they can spend their lives drawing attention to God rather than themselves.”

“The compassionate side of you will be tempted to comfort everyone who weeps, but that isn’t always the most loving thing to do for them.”

—Francis Chan

Sometimes, we absolutely know it is sin in another person’s life that is causing their weeping. We see it, and we often dance around it like the elephant in the room for years.

We spend hour after hour, sometimes year after year, listening to their complaining, watching them cycle in and out of the same problems, yet we avoid lovingly pointing out the sin issue causing all the turmoil.

Most of us don’t like conflict.
We avoid it like the plague.
As Christians, we want to show grace and be peacemakers.

The problem is there will never be peace (in our lives or the lives of those we love) where sin is allowed to go unchecked.

We can never make peace for ourselves or someone else where willful sin, as defined by God in His Word, abounds.

If we truly care for someone, if we truly want them to find joy, we better prayerfully summon the courage to speak truth to them in love.

(Don’t miss the “prayerfully” and “in love” part).

Why do this hard thing? Because if we know God’s Word, we know those we love will never find lasting peace and joy apart from following God and fleeing sin.

They never will.

Let me say, though it was uncomfortable at the time, I’m so incredibly thankful for friends who have recognized sin in my life and have loved me enough to point it out. Aren’t you?

In fact, I will go as far to say that the people who have said, “I love you, but there is sin you need to address” are the people who love me most and truly want the best for me. They want nothing to stand in the way of my relationship with God.

Helping another recognize and flee from sin is how true peace is made and where true joy can be found.

“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. “James 5:19-20

whataSavior

kimjaggers.com