When You Can’t Shake the Dust
It’s happened to me several times, and I would guess it has happened to you also. How do you handle it when you have tried and tried to reach someone with the Gospel or to win someone back to the Lord, but there just seems to be no change–no movement–on their part?
When I have struggled with that, people will just say, “You’ve just got to shake the dust off your feet and move on.” I know what they mean. There is just a time to move on and try to reach someone else. I get it. (It’s possible I’ve even given that advice at some point, although I can’t remember a specific incident at the moment.)
But…what about if you just can’t?
What about if you are truly tied to this person with your heart and your emotions and you just cannot seem to stop reaching out? What if you just know that there is another angle, another tactic, another way of communicating that you just have not tried, so you just have to keep trying?
Sounding familiar to anyone reading this? I does to me. I have done it more often that I even can remember. I just don’t want to give up on anyone and “shaking the dust off my feet” feels like giving up.
From past experience (and a current one or two also), may I just share my heart? These are not meant to be “solutions,” because I am not sure there is a perfect solution. But these are just observations that may encourage you and let you know that you are not the only one who struggles with this.
#1: Don’t Play “Messiah.” Sometimes, we think that we have to save people. That’s the work of Jesus…not you! None of us is going to reach everyone, but sometimes we have an issue with ego and think we can. (Don’t ask me how I know that.)
#2: Never Stop Praying. Even if you slow or cease trying to reach out to the person, never stop bringing their name before the throne of God. Never stop praying that somehow, in His providence, He might yet open a door for you to walk through that will help.
#3: Hope Someone Else Can Reach Them. Christianity is, in one sense, personal, but it is also community. We must be faithful ourselves, but we have others who are to help us. That is also true in trying to reach and win the lost. Pray that someone else will be able to say or do something that will touch the heart of that lost person.
#4: Take Opportunities If/When They Arise. It might be weeks, months, or even years after you stopped trying to reach someone that a door opens. Do not be so upset or jaded that you fail to see it and take it!
#5: Realize That We are Judged by Our Faithfulness; Not “Results.” While we want to win souls and we want to save people from the fire, we can only teach and encourage. We cannot do it for them. God is pleased if we can honestly say we have put forward effort and sought to be faithful to Him. Remember that even such amazing Christian leaders as Paul and Apollos could only plant and water; the increase was up to God.
This is a difficult thing, because it is so personal. We love people. We want people to be faithful. We long for them to be in heaven. So it tugs at our heartstrings when we have tried to reach someone and it just does not seem as if anything works.
Never stop having that heart! While it can be frustrating and your heart will hurt sometimes, it will also draw you closer to the Lord because you will realize your reliance on Him and you will be more grateful that you are going home with Him.
To Receive Every Article from A Legacy of Faith Through Email, Click Here
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
