Dear Woodland Hills Family,
For the last 3 years I’ve been cultivating a relationship with a man who’s been renting a building I own. I’ve had the opportunity to share the Good News with him on a few occasions. He is not at all receptive, but I am praying that in time he will give his life to the Lord Jesus.
Not long ago our relationship hit a pretty big bump. He moved out and left the place in very poor condition. The repairs have ended up costing me quite a bit of money. He admits he is at fault but refuses to reimburse me for my costs.
If I were to take him to small claims court I feel confident I would prevail. I mentioned this to him, but he hasn’t changed his position in the matter.
So… what to do? Here are some of the things I’ve been thinking about:
* First off, our year verse keeps running through my head: Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The question that keeps pressing itself in this situation with this individual is, How can I show good works to this person that will give him a reason to glorify my Father in heaven?
* Secondly, it is pretty clear to me that if I take him to court our relationship will be over. Is the money worth that?
* Thirdly, I’ve had this thought: Would I be willing to spend this same amount of money if I could be assured it would result in saving this man from a Christ-less eternity? My immediate answer is, “Of course! That would be the deal of the century!” And then the follow-up question: Is he so valuable that I’d make that kind of investment even without the guarantee?
I’d be interested to know what you think.
Blessings
