It may seem hard to believe, but the United States average high-school dropout rate is 25%. 1 in 4 students decide to leave before they finish. The question is… what is happening to stop this trend? What are schools doing to pursue those that want to call it quits?
The church faces a similar situation. People coming to the end of their faith and deciding that they just want to walk away from a God who seemingly doesn’t care. So what’s being done? What is the family of God supposed to do when one of their own drifts away? Pursue. Lovingly… and with great passion… go after those that have lost their way. Scripture tells us in Matthew 18:12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” We are to go after the lost…the disillusioned…the confused…the broken…and the hurt. They may be looking to drop out… and it’s that very time that God commands us to step in. Sometimes all someone needs is the reassurance that things will get better…and that God still cares. Know someone who’s walked away? Today…without hesitation…start the process of leading them back. Both of you will be better for it.
