Concerned & Confused

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I wanted to tell someone to wake up.  Well...I talked to them and it didn't really change anything.  They made the mistake and for some time now have been making poor choices left and right.  I am lost as to what to do.

I have a love for them and want to see what is best for them, but how do you handle people who are blatantly thinking of themselves before anyone else and have become deceitful to many.  I want to have a relationship with them and encourage them to make right decisions, but it is a challenge when you know they know the difference between right and wrong and choose the later.

I tried to find a scripture today that would help me understand what to do.  I couldn't.  The only thing I got was God reminding me that we are to love Him with all of us...we are to love others just like Christ loved the Church...and that we should approach others with gentleness. While I believe everyone one of these things, it is not an easy thing to live out.

A while back I was asked my view on how God view's love compared to how I view love.  In all honesty, I came up with a pretty good diagram of how I love people.  I have three circles.  The inner circle are the people closest to me. They can screw up, make a bad decision, and I will still love them just the same.  Nothing is changed.

The second circle are those people who I don't know but God has given me a heart for.  I don't care who they are or what they are done, I know that God loves them and they deserve to be loved.  I may not always be the best at showing them, but I have no ill feelings towards them and would help if I knew I could.

The third circle consists of  those who I know, who are not yet some of the closest to me.  Being honest (even though its not right), I make them earn my love.  They have to make good choices or I have a hard time helping them.  They have to want and earnestly try to follow God or I  struggle maintaining the relationship.  I want them to be part of my inner circle, but they haven't proven themselves yet.

Then I think about God and how He loves us no matter what.  He doesn't care that we have screwed up and made poor choices.  He is just there ready for us when we are ready for Him. He often has His hand out ready to help, ready to express His love towards us.  Oh, how I wish I could love like that.  I know we are commanded to, but......its not easy.  Then you have to take into consideration that God knows what true love looks like and sometimes what we think is "love" is actually not.

I am just going to ask that you pray for this situation.  It makes life difficult and a lot more dramatic that it needs to be. I want to know what God wants me to do in this situation and how to show His love to all those involved.

Like I heard a man say one time.....Life would be easy if it weren't for all the people.