Do you control others that are in your life? We need to let go of their lives and let God work in their lives. Who in your life right now that you love making unhealthy choices? Are you willing to let this person discover his or her need for God? If you can’t answer this question, that is ok. It is hard living in the balance of helping others and realizing that our helping others is actually hurting them.
Let’s go to the book of Joshua 9:3-15. What was the Gibeonite’s deception? What did the Gibeonites ask the Israelites to make with them? This story highlights two humans dynamics happening at the same time. The Gibeonites were afraid because of what they heard about the Israelites and their God. They didn’t want to face the same fate. The other highlight was Joshua, and the Israelites knew God’s instructions not to enter a treaty agreement with the people of Canaan. Joshua ignores God’s instructions. These interactions do cause some issues.
We need to remember that God is always working in the background of each of our lives. He allows for wilderness seasons in others’ lives just as we ourselves experience wilderness seasons. Some people are not interested or open to allow God to change or transform their lives. We have to be careful not to be fooled into being an accomplice to aiding someone in avoiding whatever God might want to teach them in that season. We also want to make sure we are not trying to escape our own seasons of the wilderness of learning.
We need to look at the whole picture if we can understand the motives behind people’s actions and words. People can be operating out of fear. They do desperate things. Have you ever experienced a time when someone told you a story and played on your emotions to help them out of a situation? Did you rescue them out of their responsibility for their actions and behavior? What was the cost of your personal involvement in trying to fix someone’s life? How does that impact your life?
It is a good thing to want to help others. However, we need to be careful and consult with God whether we should be helping or if we need to let go and let God.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that we will seek you out and discern where you want us to help or to let go and let you handle what needs to be yours to handle.
In Jesus Name
Amen
