“. . . a time to embrace, and a time to turn away.” Ecclesiastes 3:5, NLT
Recent comments on my blog prompt this brief post. One of the saddest things about life is how friendships can break down. Where once there was trust, with joy, honesty and spontaneity, now there might be aloofness, guardedness, even resentment. To make matters worse, attempts at reconciliation can be ignored or even refused.
That is when, it seems to me, it is time to turn away. Turning away is not our first response, of course. But it must be a valid, if undesirable, option. After all, we can’t force people to be open, to talk, to reconsider. Until the Holy Spirit changes hearts — I have reluctantly concluded that there really is a time to turn away. Yes, it is a defeat for the gospel. But what else can one do? All that’s left is trusting the Lord, referring the matter to the judgment seat of Christ, who alone sees all things perfectly.
In response to my gracious commenters on earlier posts, let me say this. You’re not crazy. There really are pastors and leaders who beat people up — and then tell them it’s their own fault. And there really are people and followers who undercut and insult their leaders — and then tell them it’s their own fault. A tsunami of sin is slamming us in this evil day! But when you’ve prayed as best you know how and done what you know to do toward real, honest, biblical reconciliation (for example, following the pathway set out by the Lord Himself in Luke 17:3-4) — you try and try and you get nowhere, it’s time for you to give it to the Lord, turn away and get busy serving Him in positive new ways.
Sometimes all one can do is not make a situation worse. That’s hard. But the Lord can do amazing things with brokenhearted people who have nothing left but a longing for His glory in this messy world.
