Observation: This seems like an exit interview. Samuel, the last of the judges (tribal leaders of Israel like Moses and Joshua) tells the people to bring up any corruption or wrongdoing on his part now, before he leaves office and Saul becomes their first king. The people confirm that there has been no wrongdoing. Even though Samuel goes out with a violent thunderstorm to signal God's displeasure with the people's demand for a king, he also says a wonderful thing: "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and right way."
Application: It seems like right up until the end, Samuel believes the Israelites could possibly change their outlook and behavior, and choose not to pursue this disastrous course of monarchy. He knows it's the wrong way, but he hasn't been able to convince the people. Now, all he can do is pray for them, and he will not neglect that duty.
It's a lesson we learn over and over again in life, and we always seem to learn it the hard way: we can not change or control anyone else's behavior. Just our own. I've listened to so many people with a family member who suffers from an addiction, a family member or significant other who is manipulative or abusive, or maybe even a whole family system that is dysfunctional and destructive. If you're fortunate enough not to have been in that situation, it's safe to say that in our current toxic political climate we have all had a friend or family member whose mind we had to stop trying to "change", for our own sanity's sake, because the conversation was doing more harm than good. The refrain is shockingly similar: "I tried so hard to help them, I tried so many times, in so many ways, but in the end they didn't want to change, and all I was really doing was slowly killing myself. So I had to let go, let them do what they were going to do, and just keep praying for them."
Like Samuel, so many of us have tied way too much of our self worth to trying to be a good influence on someone who doesn't want to be influenced, and at a certain point we have to realize it isn't helping them one bit. It's just hurting us. When the relationship has to end, either for good or until the other person seeks help, we have not failed. In many cases, we have succeeded in saving ourselves. But we can always pray. We can always commend that person to God's care, and ask God to work the healing we would never have been able to provide. "Far be it from me that I should sin...by ceasing to pray for you."
Prayer: God, help us to release to your care those whom only you can save, which is...which is everybody, come to think of it. In Jesus' strong name, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment