Me: Hello sis, Dad said I should tell you about the principles involved in waiting for gold, and the need to wait for it.
Sis: Well, I don’t care about Dad, your gold, or your so-called principles.
Me: It’s for your own good.
Sis (sarcastically): I said, I don’t care.
Me (shouting): I don’t care about you either! I’m trying to help you, but if you want to be stubborn, go ahead—do what you like!
Later, when Dad came home, he asked, “Have you done my assignment?”
I said, “That daughter of yours is so stubborn. She doesn’t want to hear the truth. She’s sold herself to the people of the clay—and I don’t care about her.”
He looked at me and said gently, “Daughter, follow peace with her. Through a gentle and quiet spirit, you can win her over.”
Then he asked, “Did you pray for her to listen to me through you?”
I had to admit, “No.”
He said, “I sent you as an ambassador to your siblings, but you can’t do it in your own strength. Just point them to me. Their hearts are in my hands—I will order them aright.”
He added, “I will give you words of wisdom for every situation, words that cannot be resisted or turned down.”
“Wow,” I said. “I never thought of it that way.”
He replied, “You didn’t check the manual that was given to you on how to handle such issues. If you had read it, you would have known all these—and more.”
To all my fellow house-of-gold owners and ambassadors of Christ:
You can’t force people to see your light through sheer willpower or spiritual intimidation. That only pushes them further away. What they need is the expression of your gentle and quiet spirit, your sincere love, and your persistent prayers.
Get on your knees. Hand them over to the One who owns their hearts—He alone can cause them to yield.
Remember to read your manual (the Bible). It contains the greatest principles for winning hearts and influencing lives, God’s way.
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. – 2 Timothy2:24-26 (KJV)
