I am! I want to help people…the nicest compliment I was ever paid was when a friend said, “If someone needed it, I think M would give them the shirt off her back!” Being a helper/fixer isn’t easy though! This is something that I have been struggling with lately. Frustration…because people whine, complain, share their problems, ask for advice, and then continue down the same path – never changing a single thing to improve their situation.
The thing that I have to remember is that only God can change a person’s heart.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
-Ezekiel36:26-27
My main job is to pray for that person, as long as the problem they are having, isn’t directly a sin against me.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. –I John 5:9
Did you see that “he will ask?” That’s us praying or asking God to restore the person, to change their hearts, to enable them to turn away from sin.
We’ve talked about what happens when someone sins directly against us, so I won’t go into that again here.
It can be very frustrating to see a brother or sister in Christ flailing about (and I’m sure that people are frustrated with me just as I am frustrated with others). Action is not the prescription, prayer is.
This past Sunday, we were studying the 9th chapter of Proverbs. This verse jumped out at me…
Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. –Proverbs 9:8
Sometimes, the person who is flailing, has been flailing, and may always be a flailer (is that even a word?).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a scoffer as
a person who shows contempt by derisive acts or language
A very wise, older gentleman in our class said
It has been my experience that a scoffer will always be in the laziest position available without actually being in bed.
Hmmm.
My point? My point is, sometimes, we shouldn’t say anything. Actually we are commanded not to say anything…see it says DO NOT correct a scoffer.
As always, that can be the hardest part, keeping our mouth closed, and praying and waiting on the Lord. His timing is perfect, mine…not so much.