Have you ever found yourself mentally managing someone else’s relationship with God?
You wonder why they made that choice.
Why they haven’t changed yet.
Why they don’t see things the way you do.
Sometimes our concern quietly becomes a confidence
that we know exactly what God should be doing in their lives.
In Romans 14, Paul addresses believers who were judging one another over disputable practices. He writes, “To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” (NIV)
He reminds them that the person they are evaluating belongs to the Lord and the Lord is able to sustain them.
He reminds us that it isn’t our job to judge them but God’s.
There is room for loving conversations and wise encouragement.
But we can have those conversations with humility,
remembering that we are also people who need grace.
You can pray for someone without taking responsibility for every step of their journey.
You can love them while trusting God to keep working.
The God who is holding you is holding them, too.
Father, help me release the need to manage someone else’s growth. Show me how to encourage with humility, pray with hope, and trust Your faithful care. I give them to you. In Jesus Powerful Name, Amen.