Be merciful to those who doubt (Jude 1:21).
Do you want to know how you can make a difference in this world? There is a simple way to minister to those around you. The short book of Jude tells you: Be merciful to those who doubt (Jude 1:21).
You don't have to go very far to find someone living in doubt about something. Maybe they doubt:
- that God loves them,
- that God has forgiven their sins, or
- that they are genuinely saved.
As humans, we all carry doubts. It's one of the consequences of sin. It left us insecure and uncertain about all the most important issues of life.
When you meet someone filled with doubts, show them mercy. Don't judge them, berate them or disassociate from them. Instead, reach out to them with understanding and compassion.
Why?
Because God showed you mercy. When you were full of doubt, He reached down to you with love and was merciful to you.
When you were doubting that your sins had been forgiven, his Spirit reminded you of the once for all sacrifice of Christ and spoke these words to your heart, "In Christ, you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Ephesians 1:7).
When you were struggling with salvation, these words assured your heart, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).
When your doubts were filling your mind with fear, God was merciful to you.
Are you doubting the love of God right now? Do you worry that you are beyond the reach of God's forgiveness? Do you wonder if you've done enough?
Don't be ashamed or afraid to bring those worries and fears to God. God wants you to live with the conviction that nothing can separate you from his love. He wants you to rest in the forgiveness that is yours in Christ. He wants you to walk daily with the confidence that you are his and that you are eternally saved.
Trust him today. He is merciful. He will turn those doubts to assurance and peace.
In Him,
Bob Christopher