Did I waste my time?

It can be frustrating and draining dealing with your people. Especially, when they don’t listen or don’t apply the changes you anticipated or that they should make. It may seem that the time you spent talking to brothers or sisters and helping them was all in vain but this is not the norm or standard but rather the exception. Nor the attitude The Most High needs us to have.

Baruch 2:30 KJVA

For I knew that they would not hear me, because it is a stiffnecked people: but in the land of their captivities they shall remember themselves.

The Most High is definitely not ignorant concerning the general nature of his people; hard headed and stubborn. However, he knows that some of us will eventually get it right. And the burden of guiding our people and dealing with them as they fight to get it right is one we must patiently endure with them.

Isaiah 49:6 KJV

And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

The Most High counts it a light thing for you to be one of his servants to help restore those who will ultimately repent. Now the key to remember is that helping your people; teaching and guiding them toward repentance, is something The Most High ordained for us to do in general as Israelites. And last I checked, when you are restoring something it takes work, because you are dealing with something that at one point in time or another was in a good state but is now in a damaged state and has to go through a process in order to make it good again. And that is the state of your people. And many people don’t want to deal with the labor and process of restoring people. You just want them to be good. You just want them to have it together. But if we did, we wouldn’t be in captivity right now. We would be in the kingdom.

Ezekiel 3:17 KJV

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

We are commanded to keep watch over our people and warn them about what they are doing wrong so that they may repent and get it right. Now, the scriptures always give a balance. There is a point in time when investing your time and energy into someone may not be the best or rather wisest thing to do.

Matthew 7:6 KJV

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Don’t put yourself in a place where you are trying to invest in people you know are still in a place where they are not trying to repent. They enjoy living in sin and being unclean; they don’t want to be saved. In those situations they will not take your words to heart nor accept it as wisdom. Furthermore, they will find fault in you and your words and as you thought to help them, they will help you mind your own business and keep your own two cents.

Proverbs 9:8 KJV

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Some people may not have even realized the Bible teaches us this. If you know someone is in open opposition to something or someone, it gets to a point that you realize you have scorner. A person who treats someone or something with contempt or mockery; a scoffer. At which point you have to use wisdom and cut it short. You have to identify I cannot continue to pour my spirit into someone who is not trying to receive it. I have to limit my efforts. But go the extra mile for someone you know is trying but falling short. They will eventually see it and change.

Matthew 3:7-8 KJV

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

It is a two way street. Give and take. Yes, I am supposed to teach you, help you, guide you. But at some point in time you have to produce fruit worthy of repentance, worthy of change. Now the kicker in all this, is that John was saying this to people who knew the law. When he saw them, he identified them as vipers; poisonous. And it wasn’t that they were without hope, it was that he knew their spirits and how they operate. Why come to me if you aren’t ready to sincerely change? Why waste my time? If you truly convert (like Saul did who became Paul) you have a chance. I can work with you. But if you’re not in that state of mind. And nothing I am showing you or saying is helping aid you to repent, now it is just a waste of time. But it is a process to arrive at that place.

Ezekiel 3:18-21 KJV

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. [19] Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. [20] Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. [21] Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

Need someone be righteous and then commit sins or be wicked still in sin, we are commanded to warn both of them all the same. The plot twist in it all is that it is not only to warn them for their sakes but also for yours. The Most High believes in vicarious liability. So if you don’t take the time to attempt to convert them or change them you may be held responsible for the outcome. Because something you could have done or said could have helped them correct their way. But since you saw them in error and held your peace they stayed in that sin. And ultimately may physically die or become spiritually dead but at least you saved your life and the blood is not on your hands.

Hebrews 3:13 KJV

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

While there is hope. While there is still time. Before judgment comes, especially before the final judgment. Help one another see the light, correct their ways and continue on the path. Lest through the deceitfulness of sin you find yourself in a place where the end result is death because you have been led to believe through your own thoughts and reasoning or someone else’s, that your way is good. When ultimately that path will lead to death if you stay on it.

1 Corinthians 9:22,26 KJVS

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. [26] I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

You are not going to be able to save everybody. But you must know that through your efforts you will save some. Just don’t let every loss discourage you from the wins you might get if you continue pressing forward. You should know and understand the mission and that your labor will reap a reward. Even if not from that person The Most High sees all of your efforts and will remember your good deeds.

2 Timothy 2:25 KJV

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

You don’t know if someone will or won’t change just because they seem to be in the mindset of a scorner at the time. There are plenty of people both now and in times past that were in sin and reprobate for a time but made the changes and got it right.

Titus 1:9 KJV

Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

A part of our job description in being our brothers and sisters keepers is to do what we can through sound doctrine to give our brother and sisters the words they need to make the changes they need to make.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 KJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Some of our brothers and sisters are weak. Yeah, maybe they should be stronger, yeah maybe they should know by now; but they don’t. They need you and The Most High needs you to be able to help carry them until they gain the strength and are able to stand on their own and walk. And that is a process that takes time and patience.

Acts 14:22 KJVS

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

We are supposed to be in a place where we are doing what we can to help others continue in the faith. Knowing we must go through many trials and tribulations.

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.