Have you ever been frustrated with a situation? Maybe it is with a coworker, a family member, a financial situation, or a relationship. You view the situation but are frustrated that it is not getting resolved. Let me clarify; it is not resolved how YOU think it should be. Am I the only one who thinks this way? I think not!
I am a person who thinks most things in life are either black or white. Occasionally I think some things are in that gray area. I find myself being very patient and showing Grace to someone who is not a Christian or has never been taught how to handle or resolve a situation. I also understand when a person has gone through a traumatic situation, it tends to skew their outlook on life.
My problem is showing Grace to people who know their actions are wrong and feel no need to change them to resolve the situation. If that person claims to be a Christian, that makes me feel less compassionate. God is working with me to change that type of attitude. I am not saying I am sinless and have never experienced God’s chastening. I have made some major mistakes in my life, and sorry to say I haven’t always listened to God and turned from them right away. God shows me mercy and Grace all the time.
How about you? Have you ever given someone advice only to have them not follow it? You see a certain situation God leads you to say something to someone, and then the person doesn’t take your advice? If they would take your advice, you know that the problem will be resolved. Worst of all, what if your advice was based on principles in God’s Word? At this point, my mind is getting ready to explode!
“You can lead a horse to water but can’t make him drink!” Isn’t that true? You can bring that horse to a clean, cool, refreshing trough of water, but if that horse doesn’t decide to drink from the trough, it will not quench its thirst problem. It is the horse’s decision, not yours! The horse could be on the brink of death, but if it decides not to drink, you can do nothing about it. It’s the horse’s decision. You can pray that the horse will drink the water, but it is still the horse’s decision. You could give the horse some salt to create the need for water, but it is still the horse’s decision to drink the water, not yours. You’re probably getting sick hearing about this horse and its water problem! I am tired of trying to find another way of saying this fact! “You can lead a horse to water but can’t make him drink,”
Pastors, counselors, teachers, parents, friends, relatives, children, and everyone at some time in their life has had to deal with this situation. It is not easy seeing someone you care about making the wrong choices. It hurts! It’s hard! How should we handle this? How should we react to them?
How does God react when we decide to do our way instead of following His way? First of all, His love is unconditional! It never changes because He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Secondly, He is full of Grace! Grace can be defined as unmerited favor, getting something we do not deserve. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” God gives us Grace that we do not deserve.
If we are Christians, we are to love the way Christ loves. We are to show Grace to people the way Christ shows Grace. It is impossible without the Holy Spirit controlling our lives. We must surrender our will, emotions, and actions every moment to the Holy Spirit’s control.
We also have a powerful resource at our disposal: prayer. Pray! Pray! Pray! Even when you think there is no hope of resolving this situation- Pray! Pray for the situation, and pray for your attitude! Once I heard a sermon on prayer, and the pastor used backpacks to illustrate our burdens. When we pray, we remove the backpack/burden we were carrying and place it before the throne of God. It is no longer our burden to bear; it belongs to God. God never intended me to bear that burden, especially if it results from someone’s wrong decisions or actions. I may not be responsible for the person’s burden, but I am responsible for loving, praying, and caring for that person.
I’m so thankful that we serve a God who knows the future. He didn’t wake up this morning worrying about what may or may not take place in your life or the lives of others! One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 3:5,6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight!”
