A year and a half ago, one of my best friends told me he was no longer a Christian. In a shocking turn of events, he decided to leave the Christian faith. I watched as friends around him experienced a wave of emotions. Some anxiously panicked. Others affirmed his decision and acknowledged their doubts. And a few calmly and faithfully pursued him.
Over the following months, I watched as several friends never gave up on this wandering brother, and––by God’s grace––the Lord brought him back to the church. Last spring, our church corporately affirmed his faith as we welcomed him as a member. God used church members to remind a wandering friend of the gospel and bring him back to the faith.
Pursue Those Who Wander from the Faith
Often, we only think of evangelism as pursuing those who have never professed faith in Christ––and we certainly shouldn’t stop doing that. But, I want to challenge you to see pursuing those who wander from the faith as an act of evangelism as well.
Over the past few years, I’ve watched several friends stray from the faith. Some of them continue to live a life contrary to the gospel. But, others have turned from their wandering and returned home––often because of friends who have faithfully pursued them.
The Bible emphasizes the value of bringing back those who have wandered from the faith (James 5:20). Who in your life have you seen walk away from the faith? How can you pursue those who have wandered from the faith?
Be a Calm Presence and Listen Well
When a friend or family member tells you that they’ve decided to leave the Christian faith, I want to encourage you to avoid panicking. Sometimes, the response to our shock can create barriers between us and our wandering friends. Instead, focus on being a consistent and supporting presence rather than pressing them to make a different decision.
Of course, we should be quick to point our wandering friends and family to the Lord, but this can often be done through faithful prayer, diligent listening, and gentle words. Remember that we are called to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). Take time to sit with your wandering friends and listen to their stories.
Be Patient and Trust the Lord
During this process, be patient and trust the Lord. It’s easy to pressure anxiously wandering friends to turn from their errors, but we must trust the Lord’s timing. I remember eating dinner every week with a friend who had walked away from the faith and just listening to his frustration and faithlessness. For several weeks, I didn’t speak much, but just listened to him vent.
Trust the Lord, and recognize the slow nature of this process. When someone has decided to leave the church, they’re experiencing significant loss and are looking for meaning. Take time to walk with them and listen to them as they share about their loss.
Be Bold and Speak Carefully
But, at the same time, we ought to be bold and speak carefully. Be ready to gently and respectfully explain the reason for your gospel hope (1 Peter 3:15). While I listened for several weeks, I was eagerly praying for the right opportunity to speak. After a few weeks, my friend opened up to me about the loss that he was experiencing after leaving the church. He invited me to speak about the situation and even asked for my advice.
After earning his trust and demonstrating my care for him, I was able to speak into his life and point him toward the Lord. Even more than that, I watched as several other friends did the same. Over the next few months, the Lord surrounded this wandering brother with Christians who constantly reminded him of the gospel truths that he had rejected. Over time, the Lord softened his heart and brought him back to the church.
Often when people leave the faith, it’s because they view God as someone different than who he truly is. Take time to remind wandering friends of the character of God.
Invite the Local Church Into the Process
Remember to invite the local church into the process. In this case, our friend wasn’t a member of a local church, so he didn’t benefit from the process of church discipline that would have formally sought to restore him. But, several members and elders of our church pursued him. Some faithfully committed to praying for him. Others met with him week after week and pointed him toward the Lord.
When he was affirmed as a member of our church, it was a gift of the Lord’s providence and grace for members of our church to see him publicly profess his faith in Christ.
Consider How You Can Care for Wandering Friends
Many of us have wandering friends and family members. As you consider the call for every Christian to make the gospel known among the nations and our neighborhoods, don’t give up on those who have left the faith. Consider if the Lord has placed wandering friends in your life to pursue and serve.
Cole Shiflet and his wife Courtney are members of Redeemer Community Church, where Cole serves as Director of Global Missions. He is also an M.Div. student at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.
