Isaiah 42:17
“They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.”
One of the most heartbreaking stories I hear are those stories from parents whose children have strayed from God. It never ceases to grab the emotional strings of my heart to see heartbroken parents ask for my advice on how to bring their stray child back to God. It is likewise just as troubling to watch Christians who are heartbroken over another Christian who has strayed from God and hear their desire to bring them back to God.
God dealt with the same problem with the children of Israel. Israel had strayed from God, and He was forced to send His judgment upon them. Yet, though He judged them, He also tried to recover them from their straying ways. You see in this chapter that God says He became their eyes when they could not see. He was their light in darkness. He made their crooked ways straight. This action resulted in Israel turning back to God.
Just because a Christian has strayed from God does not mean that we should be hateful towards them. I’m truly amazed at the hatefulness and venom of most Christians towards those who have strayed from God. You would think the Christian who has strayed had a disease that caused them to be isolated. Yet, God did not recover straying Israel from isolating them from Him. He recovered them by helping them at their darkest times.
When you look through the Scriptures, you find that Christians were recovered by someone caring for them. Jesus didn’t criticize Peter when he cursed God; instead, He called for him specifically. When John Mark strayed and quit on God, Barnabas recovered him by going after him to bring him back to God. When David sinned with Bathsheba, God helped nurture him back though David faced God’s punishment. Time and time again you see the stray one is recovered by another being good to them.
How do you treat those who have strayed from God? I’m not saying that you should compromise your stance on the Scriptures to recover them, but I am saying that you should reach out to the stray one and try to bring a light into their darkness. I am saying that you should do what you can to try and make their crooked paths straight. Instead of telling everyone that someone has strayed, you should reach out to them to try and bring them back to God.
Christian, be careful about being hateful towards those who have strayed. We try to help those who just got saved from the very things into which a Christian has strayed. What’s the difference? Let me encourage you to not be known as one who kicks the fallen Christian while they are down; rather, strive to be known as one who reaches out to the fallen to bring them back to Christ.
When you become the type of Christian who tries to restore the stray ones, then you will be one of a few who have chosen to walk in the paths of Jesus Christ. Jesus was known as a friend to the sinner. He was their friend because He tried to recover them when they strayed. When you make part of your Christian walk one that recovers the stray, then you will be in the company of Jesus Christ.