Don’t give up on love

My wife and I were discussing a friend of mine who in the past year has really gone off the deep end. I have written to him, counseled him extensively, prayed for him day after day after day, sent him encouraging articles and other information, and solicited friends to talk to him about it, but alas he remains undeterred and continues heading down his self-destructive path.

Unfortunately his conduct has become so reprehensible that it is sometimes difficult for me as a devout Christian to tolerate his behavior and remain friends with him anymore. I’m not anyone’s judge, but his behavior leaves little room for the benefit of the doubt. His repulsive conduct is about as far away from Christ as one can sink. My wife just cannot seem to understand why I do not cut all ties and “shake the dust off my feet”.

Ordinarily I just ignore her ranting and when she sees that I am not listening to her anyway, she generally just fades away like an annoying song on the radio. But the other day was different, she just would not let up and was incessantly harping over and over again and sounding every bit like a shrew about this subject while I was trying to enjoy my lunch in peace and harmony.

Finally I had enough and angrily shoved my plate away and turned to her and asked her how she might feel if God had given up on me in my time of need. My behavior was reprehensible and I was a complete reprobate and I did not deserve God’s love. It would have been justifiable and indeed commendable in the eyes of many in the church for Him just to give up on me. Praise God that He hung in there and did not give up on me! I’m very glad that Jesus Christ looked beyond what I “had” become, and instead looked at what I “could” become through Him, and continued working on my life.

I told her I know what my friend could become if he would just submit his life to God and that I was not going to give up on him as long as I can take a breath. END OF DISCUSSION!

I say all of the time when I speak somewhere or other, “No matter how badly something is broken, God can fix it.” He did it in my life and he can do it anyone’s life including my friend. Now either I believe that or I don’t. I do believe it and I will continue to love my friend like a brother and I will continue to hate the sin in his life that will destroy his life if he does not change. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON HIM

If you have given up on someone, I urge you to reconsider. Don’t give up on love. God won’t!

John 15:12
This is my commandment,
that you love one another as I have
loved you.