Hi Liam,
My name is Brittney Crickard. I grew up in a Christian home; however, I have made my share of mistakes and continue to make mistakes every day. I sometimes get angry with God and sometimes I don’t understand everything He is doing in the moment, but I always come back to the roots or ground work for what I know is true and that is “God is GOOD all the time”.
Every person, including myself, has faced some of the very questions and struggles that you have listed above. I struggle with self worth sometimes, loneliness, exhaustion, unsaved family members etc. However, Being a Christian isn’t about knowing all the answers or having a pain/fear free life; but believing in what we do know of Christ and Gods word, then doing the best we can to share Gods word with others in our living (Matthew 28).
In response to your concern and heartbreak over your family members refusing Christ, I struggle with those same feelings regarding my brother and his girlfriend/their family. She is an Atheist and he is either unequally yoked or isn’t a believer himself. I pray for their salvation often and even though in my human nature I have my doubts, I also know that all things are possible through Christ who gives the strength (Phil 4:13). So my question for you would be, how do you know what they would choose if they were presented the gospel in a way that they could understand it? What would happen if you shared what your Christian friend shared with you? After all, only God knows the heart of a man and only God has the power to save.
Many people have to be presented with the good news of salvation numerous times before it clicks for them and they accept the truth of the gospel. The reality is we have to trust God with our fears, we have to trust God to save our families. Proverbs 3:23 says “Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and He shall direct your path.” We can help our loved ones in lots of ways: by praying for them, knowing the word so we are ready with an answer when called upon, living out Christs forgiveness, grace and love, being proactive in our conversations to bring Christ into the conversations; but ultimately God must do the saving and we must do the trusting. Perhaps you could try sharing the Romans road with them even if you haven’t already. Get to know what God means to you and then share what He has done for you with them.
For me, without God in my life, I wouldn’t be alive. He has brought me through so much physical pain with the carrying and delivering of my children to so much more. When I felt like giving up because I literally had nothing more to give, He was there for me and He sustained me. He saved my daughter and has gotten me through so many sleepless nights. He has provided prayer when I needed it most, money when I needed it for college and opportunities I couldn’t have had without him. He has answered prayers as specifically as I prayed. He has changed my life and is still changing my life every day. At our church we were given a homework assignment to share Gods word with people these last couple weeks. I want to share Jesus with as many as possible because the reality is, if I keep the truth to myself, I am sending people to a fiery hell when I could have lead them to the bridge to a perfect Heaven through Christ and a better life here on earth.
With that said ... here is one way you could share the gospel with your friends and family. The Romans Road:
The problem: sin. Sin separates us from the perfect God who created us. We disobeyed God and that separates us from living in the perfect existence He designed for us to live in Perfect harmony with Him and every living thing. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—“
The solution: Christ. Romans 5:8-9 For God demonstrated his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."
Action Required. So our words and actions brought sin and death by disobedience. Christ was the solution and now all we have to do is accept it and share it. Romans 10:9 “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead than you will be saved.”
I encourage you to memorize these few verses from Romans. Spend time in Gods word because there is so much more to him than just an angry God demanding to be worshiped. It’s also ok to not understand everything he says and does. That is why we pray and ask God for wisdom, because God is omniscient, He is all knowing. God is also all omnipotent or all powerful and if we believe what God says in His word than our hard to reach family members can be saved thru His power! He saved Saul who murdered Gods people before God changed His heart and He is still changing hearts today. God demands worship because God created us from the beginning for His enjoyment and He is perfect and 100 percent worth the praise.
Moreover, He isn’t like a flawed King or President. If they demanded worship, they wouldn’t deserve it, because all sinned. He never makes a wrong choice, for it is literally outside of His character to do so. I believe what God says about himself in His word so I know he is worthy of Praise. I also believe then that He loves me and He loves you with all that He is, because He gave up everything to restore us to Himself again.
John 3:16-17 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY son, that whomever believed in Him, should NOT perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, BUT that the world through him might be saved. “ God is the only one who knows what choice our family and friends will make, so we need to do what we can to make sure they know the truth so that we are without excuse and leave the rest up to Him 🙂.
Finally the first part of 1st Timothy 2 has a lot to say about how we should pray and how God feels about us also.
“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” I urge you Liam, don’t give up searching out the truth. God is perfect and is deserving of worship, but He also loves us so much and He will surprise you if you let him be your God, your savior and your friend.
I hope this helps you, encourages you and challenges you. Thank you for allowing me to get to know your heart a little better. I will pray for your family members along with mine.
I will pray for you now! Dear Lord, please bless Liam. Please show Him your grace is sufficient even in our weakness, even in our fears. Show Him your power to save and your immense love of his heart and his families hearts too. I pray salvation for both He and His household. I know you go before us and that you are working in Liams life and I want to thank you for everything you are doing. Please continue to do your good and perfect work in our hearts. Also, give us a boldness to share your word with others, no matter how many times it takes for you to touch their hearts. Thank you for Jesus. In His name we pray, AMEN.
If you have more questions or just want to talk, don’t hesitate to write. My email is this:
bmiesse@cedarville.edu.
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