October 25, 2024 Devo

One of the myths we sometimes believe is that if we would just say the right thing or do the right thing that people would respond to God. So we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and even get upset with ourselves when a conversation goes south, and someone with whom we’re sharing our faith or our story gets mad or just walks away. “It’s MY fault,” we think to ourselves. We may even avoid having further conversations with anyone because we so obviously failed.
But just because someone gets upset or rejects what we’re saying, it doesn’t mean we handled it wrong. Certainly, there’s always room to grow and learn how to get better at sharing our story or talking about our faith. But sometimes it’s simply that the person we’re talking to isn’t interested or perhaps they’re just not ready.
What happened with the man born blind is a great example. After being called in before the Pharisees, he shared what Jesus did. Now think with me for a second. This man was a living, breathing MIRACLE! He was born blind and had been blind all his life. That fact was verified by people who knew him, including his parents. Now he can SEE! But the hearts of the Pharisees were so calloused, and their minds were so closed to Jesus being anything other than a troublemaker, that they didn’t want to hear any of it. They rejected the truth, denied the miracle, and kicked the man out. Not receiving the truth had nothing to do with the man born blind. It had to do with their own closed spirits.
So take heart. For those of you who may have been sharing with someone in your life who seems closed to your faith and your story of what Jesus has done in your life. Don’t grow discouraged, don’t beat yourself up, and by all means, don’t stop sharing what God has done for you with those around you. Just give them to God and keep on moving. You’re simply discovering a truth that Jesus also discovered when He walked among us. Some people just don’t want to know. That’s God’s Word for you today.