Kick ’em when they are down?

I got a letter from a guy who is in prison who was convicted on major drug and gun charges. He will be there for quite some time. He seems to be holding up well as he has settled in and begun serving his debt to society. The seven years that he must serve of his sentence will pass slowly in the boredom and routine of being confined and I am hopeful that he will maintain the positive attitude he seems to have now and emerge from prison a better person for it.

It has been my experience that the best lessons in life have been the most difficult to bear. Hard times, trials and tribulations can build character when words of wisdom fall on deaf ears. When this drug dealer was on top of his game dealing drugs and cramming his pockets full of money every day it would have been near impossible even for Jesus Christ Himself to persuade him to turn his life around with mere words. He needed to fall to the bottom of the barrel and that is where he now resides. Well he has no drugs now, nor does he have women or money, or much of anything aside from a largely monotonous albeit dangerous life caged up with some bad men. He has plenty of time now to reflect upon his life and the mistakes he made.

When someone is broken and has nowhere else to go they often turn to God in their despair and find him patiently waiting to forgive their sins and heal the broken life that is before Him, or they blame God for their misery and reject Him and fall even further down the ladder of life. Fortunately for this guy, he has turned to God and spends much of his time writing letters and warning young people not to make the same mistakes that he has made.

He is making an excellent choice and I have prayed for him and have written to him to encourage him to persevere. God will draw near to Him and protect him from the danger that surrounds him daily and more importantly sustain his spirit and prevent it from being broken. Solomon observed in Proverbs that a man’s spirit can sustain him in times of trouble, but he then asked a rhetorical question that needs no answer “Who can sustain a broken spirit?” I’ll answer anyway; no one can sustain a broken spirit. God will help him and I will continue writing now and then to encourage him and hopefully he will survive and thrive during these tough times and maintain that spirit.

Many of you might think this meth dealer is getting what he deserves for selling poison to our kids. I would agree that he must pay the consequence for his particularly heinous sins and have told him that he used poor judgment and must now pay the consequence, but I have also made tons of mistakes in my life and have told him that his life is not over; far from it. God will forgive him and most of society will do likewise provided he will truly turn his life around and use his testimony to glorify God and help others. By turning his life over to God, his life can now begin and this time God will be its center. He can follow God’s purpose instead of his own and enjoy the peace, joy, and happiness that go with it.

If you know of someone who needs encouragement, by all means give it to them. So many people seem to focus on judging and condemning someone for their sins instead of encouraging them to change. God can make the difference in anyone’s life and He can heal the most broken of lives. We should help others who are down wherever and whenever we are presented the opportunity. Don’t kick someone when they are down; instead help them to their feet and you will never regret it.

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the
countenance of his
friend.