by Heath Rogers<\/p>\n
What are we to do when a loved one is making a terrible mistake? We often feel helpless as we must stand on the sidelines and watch the approaching disaster unfold before our eyes. Is there anything we can do? Does the Bible offer guidance in such situations?<\/p>\n
Jesus gives us a pattern to follow in the words He spoke to Peter on the night He was betrayed. “And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren’<\/em>” (Luke 22:31-32). Notice the things we can do.<\/p>\n Peter was unaware of the severity of the trial that awaited him. The Lord did, so He warned Peter. Those who see dangers that lie ahead are duty-bound to warn others (Acts 20:31). Older brethren know about the pitfalls of life. Those who are not emotionally involved in situations can often see and think more clearly than those who are involved.<\/p>\n Warning those we care about is an act of love (Revelation 3:19), but these warnings will not always be appreciated. They can be received as wounds (Proverbs 27:6) and as a slap in the face (Psalms 141:5). Giving such warnings is never easy, but it is better than living with the regret of having done nothing.<\/p>\n Adults have the right to make their own decisions, even our grown children.<\/p>\n We all enjoy the gift of free will from God. He warns us in His word and then allows us to make our own decisions. Sometimes, these decisions please God, but other times, they grieve His heart. Either way, God allows us to make these decisions.<\/p>\n The same is true for us. We can offer advice, warnings, wisdom, and a good example to those we love, but ultimately, they have the freedom to make their own choices. This free will has the potential to grieve our hearts, but it is part of living with free will.<\/p>\n Jesus let Peter know that He had prayed for him. After we have warned and encouraged our loved ones, there is still something we can do – we can pray. Pray for them to make the right decision. Pray they will come to their senses and repent (Luke 15:17). Pray the consequences of their error will be minimal. Pray God will give you wisdom and peace during your heartache (I Peter 5:6-7; Philippians 4:6-7). Remember, there is power in prayer. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much<\/em>” (James 5:16).<\/p>\n Jesus correctly identified Satan as the cause of Peter’s failure. Satan loves to destroy God’s people. If he cannot do so through a direct assault on us, he will use our loved ones.<\/p>\n It is only natural to project our pain and anger onto the individual who is causing us harm. We must rise above this temptation and have the presence of mind to see Satan’s evil hand involved in such situations. Unfortunately, he can trap people into doing his bidding (II Timothy 2:26). Sometimes these trapped individuals are our dear loved ones.<\/p>\n Jesus warned Peter, told him He was praying for him, foretold his failure, but anticipated his repentance. The Lord stated beforehand that He was willing to receive him back.<\/p>\n Why would we pray for our loved ones if we did not anticipate their repentance? Hope is a powerful thing, and as long as our loved ones have life, we have hope (II Peter 2:9). The father of the prodigal son watched for his son to return. When he did, the father ran to him, and when he heard his son confess his sin, the father welcomed him back into his home with celebration, “For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found<\/em>” (Luke 15:24).<\/p>\n The day may come when we must watch helplessly as a loved one makes a terrible decision. It will likely be one of the greatest burdens we must bear, but the statement made to Peter by the Lord gives us help in bearing the burden.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Heath Rogers What are we to do when a loved one is making a terrible mistake? We often feel helpless as we must stand on the sidelines and watch the approaching disaster unfold before our eyes. Is there anything we can do? Does the Bible offer guidance in such situations? Jesus gives us a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[451],"class_list":["post-88489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-teaching"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28155,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-peter-say-that-perhaps-god-would-forgive-simon\/","url_meta":{"origin":88489,"position":0},"title":"Why did Peter say that perhaps God would forgive Simon?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 21, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I a question for you regarding a scripture. It was a passage that you showed\u00a0someone grappling with blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. \"Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps\u00a0the thought of your heart may be forgiven you\" (Acts 8:22) I am sure I am misunderstanding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21016,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/restoration\/","url_meta":{"origin":88489,"position":1},"title":"Restoration","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne Fancher I. Restoration of Purpose, Zeal, and Love John 21:1-9 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in, Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28406,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/im-all-petered-out\/","url_meta":{"origin":88489,"position":2},"title":"I\u2019m All Petered Out","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant The sun was sinking, and the day's work was done. The farmer shut off his tractor, walked to the house, and into the kitchen where his wife had his coffee waiting for him. As he sat, he wiped the sweat off his brow and said, \"I'm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/tired-300x256.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19399,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/youre-judging-another-persons-salvation\/","url_meta":{"origin":88489,"position":3},"title":"You’re Judging Another Person’s Salvation","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By Joe R. Price May we examine a person's personal belief about their salvation without \"judging\" them? More specifically, is it possible to identify an unbiblical view a person has about their salvation? Can we use the Scriptures to explain to a lost person he or she is lost? Or,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/brown-gavel-on-book-300x205.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":54455,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-peter-follow-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":88489,"position":4},"title":"Why did Peter follow Jesus?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why did Peter follow Jesus? Answer: Peter followed Jesus first because his brother, Andrew, told him that he and John, Peter's fellow fisherman, had found the Messiah (John 1:41-42), so initially, he went out of curiosity. When he met Jesus, he was given a nickname, which indicated what kind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31673,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/in-the-hour-of-trial\/","url_meta":{"origin":88489,"position":5},"title":"In the Hour of Trial","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Luke 22:54-62 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Without a doubt, Peter loved Jesus \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When others sat in the boat in fear, it was Peter who wanted to go out to meet Jesus - Matthew 14:28-31 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When Jesus spoke of his abandonment on the Mount of Olives - Matthew 26:31-32\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88489\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Warn Them<\/h2>\n
Respect Their Free Will<\/h2>\n
Pray for Them<\/h2>\n
Remember: Satan is the Real Enemy<\/h2>\n
Anticipate Their Return<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n