Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Romans 12:9

“Going rogue,” is the term the authors of the book, Letting Go, use to describe the rebellion of a wayward person. Originally used to describe elephants who had abandoned their roles in the herd for erratic and dangerous behavior, the person who has gone rogue has chosen to ignore God’s authority in their lives.  They choose a pattern of unrepentant sin and walk away from roles of spouse, sons or daughters, friends, employer or employees. “When a fool decides to reject God’s voice, he’ll stubbornly and inexplicably allow his life, job, marriage, family, children and money to go up in smoke.”[1]

I’ve stood right there, in the smoke, heartbroken. God calls the lover of the wayward to a love that is strong enough to face evil, but, “To get here you need to experience that love yourself, a love so sturdy that it enables you to face your biggest fears—your dread of a loved one leaving you, your anxiety over the unknown, or your unspoken suspicion that this situation indicates you’re one humongous failure.”[2]

If God calls you to let go of a wayward one you love, you can expect Him to provide the clarity, the direction and the strength to do so.  You can pray, “Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.” (Psalm 119:33) He promises strength (Psalm 18:32), wisdom, (James 1:5), guidance (John 16:13) and a sense of His presence (Acts 2:28).

You can trust Him with your wayward one and with your own broken heart.

 

Resource reading:  Luke 15:11-32

[1] Dave Harvey and Paul Gilbert. Letting Go: Rugged Love for Wayward Souls (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 47.

[2] Ibid., 72.