Loving Others Who Are Deceived - Encouragement Café - October 10

Loving Others Who Are Deceived
 By Andrea Hine

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?  But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives.  I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.  Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT

How do we love certain ones with the love of Christ?  You know the ones… 

They profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, yet their lives are filled with immorality.

They go to church every Sunday and Wednesday, yet they abuse their children and/or wives. 

They read God’s Word, yet they live in the flesh more than the spirit.

They speak sincere prayers, yet they are so angry, prideful, and greedy.  

They are in our families, our churches, our workplaces, and our social networks.  

If we are honest with one another, we have been… we are… we might be… them. 

Those who live righteously and love others, are the children of God.  But are the children of God always going to live righteously and love everyone?  We must be mindful that every child of God has a different past, present, and future.  Some of God’s children are deceived to the point they truly believe the lies.  

This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.  2 Thessalonians2:9-12NLT

We all have a heart that deceives, not only ourselves but, everyone – except for God (Jeremiah 17:9-10).  There are believers who have murdered.  There are believers who have lived immoral lives for centuries.  But when they repented of their sins, the Holy Spirit moved into their hearts, they became a part of the Body of Christ, and they have been serving God ever since.  

According to Luke 15:3-7, there is more rejoicing in heaven over the repentance of those who have strayed away from God, compared to those who never strayed.  Those who have strayed away from God are deceived into believing lies as truths. 

God uses us to help guide them out of the darkness and into the light, with the truth of who God is and who we are in Him.  This begins with US LOVING them FIRST, to earn the right to speak truth into their hearts.  We will know when God is calling us to disciple someone... there will be no denying it.

Listen for God to speak to your heart about someone who has strayed away.  Pray for those who you find it so difficult to love because of how they live their lives.  Pray for God to give you His Love for them and if it is His Will, be His Hands and Feet to those who have been deceived into believing lies.

Heavenly Father, You are the Only One who knows our hearts.  We have been given a purpose here on this earth and that is to demonstrate Your Love to others.  Give us the courage to have conversations with others, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us because You are The Comforter.  We have nothing to feel uncomfortable about when we are sharing You with others.  We pray in Christ’s Name, Amen.

© 2019 by Andrea Hine.  All rights reserved.

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