Opportunity?

I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners

Mark 2:17

Today's devotional talks about a mother who's son has moved into his junior high/high school years, and has made some friends who are not Christians. She is concerned about her son hanging out with friends who do not believe the same things she has taught her son to believe in. Will they expose him to things she doesn't want him exposed to, will they cause him to stray from his faith??? After spending some time in prayer, she realizes that there is a possiblity that these boys were sent to her son, so that her son can reach them for Christ.

I completely understand where this mother is coming from. My son is also in a public school. I am constantly reading through the things he brings home, and quizzing him about his friends. However, right now my son is still in elementary school, so my fears are about what my son is being taught. Things in our culture are changing, and I want to have a say in the things my son learns when he is away from me. My fear for my child may be a bit different from this mother's but our solution is the same. Prayer. I pray that God will protect my son, from hearing or seeing things that could influence or sway him. This mother did the same thing with her son. While I do hope that my son befriends and brings non-believers to Christ, it scares me to. However, God has a plan and I must trust that plan. If Jesus were to come to my town today, I can guarantee you His first stop wouldn't be to my church, it would be where the sinners are. He would go to the people who need Him the most. So as much as I want my children to be surrounded by only Christian influences, they need to be exposed to non-believers to. They need to learn by example how to live Christ-like lives in the secular world, and how to bring other's to Christ. Because like my devotional says, "what if He (Jesus) had only associated with those who knew and believed God's Word? History would have turned out much differently."

Steps of Faith:
Heavenly Father, thank You for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank You also for the non-believers who cross my path each day. Help me to reach out in friendship to those who desperately need You.

Deeper Walk: Mark 2:13-17
Jesus Eats with Sinners at Matthew's House

And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them. As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He asid to him, "Follow me!" And he got up and followed Him. And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His desciples, "Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?" And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but thos who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."