By Morning Kay
"Good Morning, Morning!"
http://morningkay.blogspot.com
One tip that is commonly given to teens struggling in
their faith is to talk to other people about it.
But where does that leave the ‘other people?’
If you’re anything like me facing such a situation, you
may just freak out. One of my friends recently went through a boatload of
hardships that caused her faith to suffer. I was stuck in the middle.
We talked a lot about her doubts and hardships and I was
desperate to help her overcome them. After all, this was my friend and I didn’t
want to see her fall away from faith. From this experience, I have a few tips
for those in similar situations.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
This may be hard, but you have to pray continually for
your friend and you have to stop worrying. That may sound cruel. After all,
your friend is hurting and I say, “don’t worry?!” I know it’s hard, but
you have to remember who is in control over the situation: God. If it is in
God’s will that your friend heals, he or she will heal. If not, you can’t feel
guilty. You have to understand that you are not the one who saves; God is. He
knows what He’s doing.
“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just
as you also are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Be open and encouraging to your friend and no matter
what… don’t give up on them.
I’m happy to say that my friend has gotten so much
healing through her struggles! I have seen God’s grace abound in her life in
such amazing ways that it makes me want to cry.
The problem is… she hasn’t.
My friend decided to be agnostic and that has broken my
heart. When she first told me, I didn’t know what to do. It frustrated me
because my friend felt so hurt by God when she was amid her personal struggles,
thinking that He had abandoned her. Yet, when He provided healing for those
hardships, she didn’t see it. She turned away.
I’m still broken hearted about this. I often times want
to just grab my friend and shake her, demanding to know why she doesn’t see
that God has always been with her and why she can’t see that her healing is His
doing.
If this happens to you too, and it may, don’t give up. No
matter how many times they push you away, continue to speak truth to them in
love and be there for them… even if they don’t want to talk about their faith
anymore.
I know it’s tough being stuck in the middle of a friend’s
hurt faith. Just cling to God and remember He is in control and always has
been, as hard as that may be, and continue to be a friend.
It’s always a blessing to see your friend heal in faith
and I’m sure that if you’re in this situation, you want nothing more for them
than that. However, you might have to accept the possibility that they won’t
turn back to God in the time you know them. Or ever. But no matter what, you
have to keep your trust in God’s power strong even when theirs is not.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)
