Mockers Schmockers

“Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
Proverbs 9:7-8 NIV

I can remember a time in my life when I was looking for opportunities to correct people - especially those who mocked the Lord. Regardless of the situation, it always ended the same way: the person would laugh at me, ridicule me and mock the Lord and me even more still.

Reading this passage this morning, I was reminded how God warns us about trying to correct someone who isn't interested in being corrected. It ends badly. It ends with frustration and hurt. Nothing good comes from it. And yet, many of us still think to ourselves, "Well, I can set that person straight. What I have to say will make a difference to them."

Yea, right.

Why do we want so badly to waste our time with people who aren't interested in growing and learning from God while we neglect those who desire to grow and learn? As the Church, we need to do a much better job at discerning between those who need the Lord and those who want the Lord. All of us need the Lord, but far fewer really want Him.

"So we should ignore those in the world who don't know Christ and just focus on those inside the Church?"
Absolutely, unequivocally "NO!"

That flies in the face of our vision at City on a Hill Church and what I believe God has commanded the Church. What I am saying is that we need to not waste so much of our time on people who will suck the very life out of us without ever growing an inch in their relationship with Jesus. Too many are standing by asking for our attention and wanting our attention - those who will grow by leaps and bounds if we simply invest in them.

Lord, may we have the discernment to recognize those who desire to be more like You. May we invest ourselves in them. May we not waste our time trying to correct those who mock you in word and in deed. Amen!