Is it Time to Pop Your Protective Christian Bubble?

I had a realization last night. As Christians, I think we get too much into the habit of surrounding ourselves with fellow Christians without thoughts of expanding to outsiders who are considering coming to faith, or others who realize they have strayed too far into the world. Sometimes we focus too much on people's past failures instead of on the positive future they could have in knowing Jesus. As much as we don't want to be overly influenced by the world in order to not fall into a temptation, I feel we are precariously balanced in a realm where we shun those who seem to have awful pasts in order to protect ourselves, and there in lies the problem. We are too self focused.
This line of thinking all came about last night as I was chatting with an acquaintance of mine online. She has a bit of a rough past and is struggling to make improvements in her life. I had never really discussed Christianity with her, other than a couple of verses in passing, but in our conversation, she said something that struck me to the core. She was considering going back to her church, but they weren't very open to her because of her past. She said she felt as if she had to change herself before going back to church. What came to mind was when the Pharisees questioned Jesus about the people he chose to keep company with. Jesus' response can be found within Luke 5:31-32: "And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'" I believe we fail as a Christian community if we turn somebody away based on their past. If they truly repent for the wrongs they have done and the sins they have committed, and if they honestly want to build a relationship with Christ because they know something bigger is out there, then we should invite them in with open arms. Nobody should feel rejected before they even walk in the door.
I think it is easy to forget that we are all sinners. We all have temptations that we wrestle with on a daily basis and needed Jesus to pick us up out of a ditch somewhere along the path as we wandered through life. This should be in the forefront of our minds when a newcomer with a questionable past inquires about Jesus. It should excite us that they are interested to know more and we must be willing to get to know them and pray for them to come closer to Christ.
Many who have troubled pasts have been abandoned by either friends or family. This usually will lead them to spiral downward because they have nobody looking out for their wellbeing and nobody who cares. It reminds me of a line from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. He was discussing his middle school football experience and how a coach rode him particularly hard one practice. Another coach came over to him and said, "When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you." I find this quote motivating when I have someone giving me a hard time about doing something right. But then I am also reminded of the times that I gave up on people because they would either shut me out of their problems, or there appeared to be no progress being made. These of course were selfish decisions, and I believe we all fall prey to responding in this fashion.
I believe God has given me a second chance to remember to not give up on people. This acquaintance of mine who is struggling but wants to get to know Jesus has really inspired me and motivated me to help her in any way possible. I don't want to give up on her just because the majority of other people have done so. Everybody deserves the chance to get to know Jesus and it is not up to us who gets to experience salvation. We can help answer questions and lead Bible studies, but only God's grace can save somebody. As stated in John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Everybody deserves to learn about Jesus. Salvation is the most important part of our lives, which requires us to build a relationship with God. This is only possible through His grace and mercy and it is completely up to Him who is accepted into heaven. Stop protecting yourself from the people of the world and instead realize that everybody needs to learn about Christ and that your first calling is always to discipleship. Be willing to step outside your bubble and extend yourself to somebody who everybody else might have given up on. We all deserve to have someone believe in our abilities and we should be willing to assist somebody in their walk with Christ, no matter what their background, or how far away they may live.