God Doesn't Tell us to Fix People

For the last few weeks I have been writing about things that I have learned at the PARC. This may sound trite or flippant, but I believe that one of the greatest things I have seen and learned is of the power of God. He really is a lot more powerful than we give Him credit for. When He tells us to love Him and to love people, there is a reason for that. I believe that when we do that, it opens the door for His power and authority to move in people's lives. When we do what He commands, people's lives are truly changed. They find Him and come to know Him.

God tells us to love people. He doesn't tell us to fix them. We can't change people or even 'save' them. That is not our responsibility. It is God's. If we come to people with an agenda or to point out things that they are doing wrong or need to change, we have lost our way. Love is powerful and it gives God the room to do what He does best. Change people. Save people,

Some of you may be familiar with Reggie's story. He is one of our members who never ran out of chances. When he first began to come to the PARC he was addicted, volatile and often angry. He was in and out of jail, but he kept coming back. Last summer when he got out of jail he was ready for a true change. He began to work really hard to stay sober and to move forward. As he was able to attain his ID and social security, he actually found a job. Reggie had not worked in 32 years! He was so nervous his first day. Can you imagine? That first day we encouraged him and prayed for him and hoped that he would go. The next day he came back so excited. He loved his job. 

We continued to encourage him to keep going to work. Through the weeks, as he continued to go to work, we began to see a change in him. One day as I was visiting with him I told him that he walked differently and carried himself in a more confident way. I looked at him and said, "Reggie, I bet that you are so proud of yourself." He smiled and said to me, "Miss V. This is the real me. This is the Reggie that my momma raised. You know that Reggie that you used to know? That wasn't me. This is the real me. 

God did that. God is doing that. Through loving Reggie and encouraging him, he is beginning to find the person he is intended to be. The one that God created him to be. Reggie ended up quitting that job after a few months. But you know what, that is okay. He is on a journey and God is right by his side. We will continue to love him and encourage him, and let God take the responsibiity for his life.

I will tell you. Sometimes one of the hardest things that we do is letting them leave and walk out our door at the end of the day. We know how hard they are working to move forward. We see a glimpse of what it is like out there on the streets, where they are surrounded by violence and drugs and even the elements of nature. Our nature is to want to 'save' them, to fix their problem. What we have had to learn is that when they walk out of our doors at the end of the day is that they are God's responsibility, and He is way more able to take care of them than we ever could. We release them into God's arms

It's hard. It seems like such an easy thing to 'fix' it. To solve their problem. We must remember that isn't what God told us to do. He didn't tell us to 'fix' them. He told us to love them.

What if they never change? I believe with all my heart that God's love doesn't return void. Maybe they never change in the way that we think they should. But if we have loved them we have done our part. If we have loved them, God is well able to accomplish more than we thought possible. We may never know. But we know that love is powerful and that God works through love. That's it. Just love.