“Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt.” Jude 21-22
(Friends, use my prayer and story, to help you pray for your friends, kids, colleagues, mentors—and maybe yourself, who are in a faith crisis.)
Dear Jesus, I know I’m not alone in having a friend(s) doubt their faith. And as this passage makes clear, ours isn’t the first generation to have believers drift, fall, or jump into unbelief. So rather than musing about trends in Christianity, you call us to abide in your love, and extend it to our friends and family members who are somewhere in the continuum of chilled, indifferent, and rejected faith.
In my case, my friend feels abandoned by you, forgotten, and punished. He’s helped others rest in your grace, but suffering, reversals, and meanness from those who claim to know you have taken their toll. He’s somewhere between a weary John the Baptist, asking “Is Jesus really the one, or should we wait for another?” (Matt.11:2-3), and Job’s wife spewing, “Why still cling to your integrity (and your faith and trust in God)? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). It’s hard to watch, but it would be hardhearted to ignore.
I ache for him, Jesus. I groan for my friend and grapple for his heart. He doesn’t need answers, podcasts, and books; he needs pursuit, mercy, and kindness. Please keep him from medicating in destructive ways. Pain makes us vulnerable, and isolation intensifies our demand for relief. He’s pulling away from those he’s walked with for years. As you prayed for the protection of your disciples, I’m counting on your prayers for my friend (John 17:15). My confidence isn’t in a “doctrine of eternal security,” but in you, Jesus—the author, writer, and completer of our faith. So Very Amen.