When a friend or loved one first becomes a Christian, help them plant God’s Word deep in their heart. That doesn’t guarantee they won’t go astray. Many of us got it wrong before we finally got it right. Just make sure they know where ‘the right path’ is. Picture a salmon being spawned in the River Severn, then as it matures, it swims downstream and begins its long migration to the North Atlantic. The salmon swims for thousands of miles. Then, as if by command, it begins the long journey back to its place of spawning. And it not only locates the spot where it entered the ocean, but the estuary, the river, and the exact inlet from which it had been released. In one documented story, a salmon worked its way up through a drain and pushed through a hefty, screened lid atop a three-foot vertical pipe, and ended up in the same tank where it was hatched. Unique markings on its fin confirmed this. ‘Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.’ That Scripture speaks to parents, but we could also think of it as guiding a new Christian in their first steps with God. Give them a taste of the things of God and help them learn some solid, basic principles of a life with Him, then if they stray away from His path, the world won’t satisfy their taste and they’ll return to their spiritual roots. Faithfully do your part, and trust God to do His. Your part is to teach, love, and pray for them. God’s part is to draw them back. And He will, for He loves them even more than you do!
