Our Job Is to Love People, Not Change Them

By Jarrid Wilson

Regardless of how God uses me, I can’t change people. That is God’s job, not mine.

I love change. I love helping people. And I love seeing people changed by the love God. But regardless of how much God decides to use me, I alone cannot change people. This is God’s job, not mine.
I remember when I first became a believer in Jesus and somehow thought that it was my duty to change people for the sake of advancing The Gospel—which is funny because I myself wasn’t even changed by a man or women, but instead was loved and directed toward the only true source that could bring me change: God
I would rejoice when people would find hope in Christ, but would feel like a failure when someone would turn away from wanting to know Jesus as Lord. I took it personally. It was a little discouraging, but that’s because my mindset was completely off. I was focusing way too much on what “I” was doing for God, and not enough on the bigger picture: God’s omnipotent power and preeminent role in the business of life change. I believe many of today’s Christians put too much weight on themselves to bring people to Jesus. It’s our job to love people, not change them. And we must understand the reality that only the Holy Spirit has the power and authority to do such a thing. Our calling is to simply share The Gospel in love and truth, showcasing the character of Jesus through our everyday lives. This alone is the calling of a Christian. This alone is a weighty yet fulfilling purpose for each and every person who chooses to pick up their cross daily.
If we were to scour the Bible, we’d see there is not a single passage that states we are called to change people. Why? Because it’s not our job, and it was never intended to be. We must take a step back and realize that God’s job is to be God, and our job is to lead people toward the door that is hope. Once we’ve done this, we must let go and allow Him who created the world to take care of the rest.
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” —John 13:34
Don’t waste your time trying to change people. Instead, focus on loving well.