Decisions, decisions...

There is a young individual that my wife and I are trying to minister to. I say try because Person "A" doesn't seem to want to receive any ministry. This person desperately wishes to go overseas (or so "A" says). However, "A" has certain personal moral and spiritual deficiencies which preclude any overseas jaunts.

Our recommendation was for "A" to move into town, near us, and get a full time, Monday-Friday, 8-5 job. Get away from home, and get away from living the college style life, and avoid the a/immoral people that "A" has chosen for close personal friends. Also, spend several days a week w/us doing some discipleship, specifically in the area of personal holiness, mind renewal and strengthening, and management and submission of emotions to the Word of God. Seems fairly straightforward, right?

Apparently not. "A" has avoided any direct involvement with us, while trying to maintain contact under the guise of "I'll call you/see you soon". We realize that "A" has no such intentions. "A" just wants to be happy, nothing else. So, all things are a means to this end: mission work, God, us, members of the opposite sex, so on, and so forth.

As I have begun to seek the Living One (blessed be His Name) on the matter, the story of the rich young man from the Synoptic Gospels comes to mind (Mt. 19, Mk. 10, Lk. 18). The young man appears to have a zeal for acquiring eternal life. He asks Christ what to do. Christ responds by telling him to obey the commandments given to Moses, and he replies that he has done that. Christ then zeroes in on what is truly important to the man. He tells him to sell all of his vast estate, give it to the poor, and follow Him. The man becomes sad and leaves.

"A" reminds me of this young man. Well sorta. "A" makes no attempt to obey very many commands. "A" has many rationalizations and excuses. But, when we offered "A" the choice of sacrifice in order to prepare for the future, "A" became sad, and walked away.

Where I am grappling now is: what is next? Christ does not chase after the rich young man. How much longer until we stand and watch "A" make more decisions that will alter "A's" life in a deadening and irreversible way?

Blessed be Adonai, King of the Universe, Who sees the end of all things...

KJ