Deaf ears

I have received hundreds and hundreds, (if not thousands), of e-mails and voice mails from those who were inspired by the recent articles about me in Inc. Magazine and Business Week. Most have called or written for advice and many have emotional, gut wrenching and very sad situations in which they find themselves. I have systematically been answering them in the order in which they were received.

I find that offering advice to people is not a very rewarding task. One lady wrote and detailed her rather bleak situation and asked me what she should do. I spent a lot of time on it and addressed every point she made and advised her as to what she should do. She replied and point by point rejected every single piece of advice that I offered, and in effect has elected to maintain her status quo. Hmmm It makes me wonder why she wrote in the first place.

I have found that it is exceedingly difficult to help some people; often those whom I want to help the most are the most difficult, if not impossible to help, and they outright reject everything I try to tell them. I have received a couple of letters and I am very concerned for the well-being of those who wrote them. In a word they are suicidal. I have prayed to the Lord to give me the wisdom to offer them sound advice. Unfortunately I am no Solomon, nor am I a pastor, or a shrink. In the end my advice has been centered on what helped me when I was in their shoes and I have advised them to read the Bible, get involved in church, pray, and turn their lives over to God as well as some practical advice for addressing certain problems. Alas it is easier to do than it is for them to believe it, and I am afraid that it is falling upon deaf ears for the most part.

I was thinking and praying about this problem and I wondered what it must be like for God who sees all that is going on in the world all of the time. I am only seeing a very tiny portion of the misery that people are enduring, but He sees it all. I wonder if He is frustrated that most people do not turn to Him and reject Him. He has the answer to every problem, and like me so many years ago when He repaired my broken life, He willingly will help anyone who asks. However more often than not, they just go their own way, reject Him, and try to make it on their own.

I know that those who are rejecting my advice regarding finance, employment, drug addiction, (or whatever), are rejecting sound advice, and it bothers me to no end to see them continue down a path that will not improve their situation. How much more so does God see so many fighting losing battles and lost souls heading for complete and often eternal disaster? He patiently waits for them, always willing to provide His loving grace and healing Spirit, but they march like lemmings going towards the ocean and certain death. Unfortunately I will not be able to help some of them; they are going to have to help themselves if they want to be rescued from their dilemma.

I dare not ask myself “why” this situation is like it is, because I know in my heart that there is no answer my dim little mind will find that will satisfy the question. In the end it is what it is, and I must deal with it already. I will try to emulate the Lord and patiently offer to help where and when I can.

And those who reject it? Well they have a free spirit and I suppose we can lead a horse to water, but we cannot make it drink unless it is inclined to do so. The Bible seems to indicate that most prefer to take that route. Sigh

Matt. 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and
you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you. For everyone who asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who
knocks the door will be opened
Enter into the narrow gate. For wide
is the gate and broad is the road that leads to
destruction and many enter through it. But
small is the gate and narrow the road that
leads to life, and only a few find it.