God Did Not Give Them to You
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “Did God bring this person into my life, or did I?”
I’ve started this journey of reading the Bible beginning with the book of John. One morning, I found myself in John 6. In this chapter, Jesus feeds the five thousand, walks on water, and declares that He is the Bread of Life. After that message, many of His disciples deserted Him. They were willing to follow as long as they saw miracles, but when they couldn’t understand His teaching, they walked away.
Then verse 65 stopped me in my tracks: “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” (John 6:65, NLT).
It made me think about the saying, “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.” But how many of those people were actually given to you by God, and how many did you bring into your life yourself?
I’m speaking to myself too. Sometimes we hold on to relationships that God never asked us to carry. We ignore warning signs, make excuses, and believe our love will change someone. Instead, we end up carrying emotional pain—and sometimes even physical pain.
Jesus didn’t chase the disciples who chose to leave. He didn’t lower the truth to keep them comfortable. He let them walk because He knew they weren’t ready to receive what He was teaching.
As believers, our relationship with Jesus must shape who we allow to influence our lives. When someone continually pulls you away from God’s peace, truth, or purpose, ask yourself if you’re holding on to someone God is asking you to release. Pray, seek His wisdom through Scripture, pay attention to His direction, and have the courage to obey—even when it’s difficult.
Growth is a lifelong journey, and learning to let go is part of spiritual maturity.
This week, prayerfully place every relationship before God and ask Him to reveal which ones He has truly entrusted to you.
Some people will never understand your purpose or the calling God placed inside of you. You don’t have to convince them. Your responsibility is to follow Christ, not win everyone’s approval.
Maybe the reason they walked away is simple:
God did not give them to you.