December 29, 2025 Devo

Say this out loud: “You can’t help people who don’t want help.” Now think of that person whom you have been killing yourself trying to fix, and say it out loud again. “You can’t help people who don’t want help.” For many of us, if we could really learn this lesson, we would save ourselves much frustration and grief. Whenever we want something for someone more than they want it for themselves, we’ve gone past caring to codependency. God gave us Free Will. He empowers people to make their own choices. Some of us try to take that Free Will away and make them choose what WE think is best. But we don’t have the right to do that. Even if the path we want them to take really is the better path.
Read the last part of our verse today again. “He keeps his distance from the proud.” “The proud” are those who think their way is best. They don’t consult God. They don’t consult others. In fact, they will often become angry and combative if you try to convince them that they’re making poor decisions. Listen very carefully to this: They have become their own god. They are seeking only themselves and their own desires. Those are difficult people to help. God speaks to them. He whispers to them. He tries to get their attention to warn them about the path they’re on. But when they blatantly choose that path anyway, God lets them go.
What God knows that we often don’t understand is that some people must reach a place of brokenness or experience failure before they are open to another way. So, God keeps His distance. He stays close, but He doesn’t stop them. He gave them the right to choose when He created them. So, He lets them choose. Then, when their pride brings them to crisis, and their hearts become softened, He whispers to them again with His offer of Grace and Guidance. Hopefully, this time, they are a little wiser and humbler.
So, if you’ve been banging your head against the wall trying to change someone who doesn’t want to change, just stop. If God doesn’t take away their right to choose, neither can you. It’s okay to suggest a better way. It’s okay to ask them to reconsider. But if they don’t want to change, let them go. Do what God does. Keep your distance and give them some space until they’re ready to reconsider. God can’t change the proud heart, only the humble one. It’ll be a good day when we learn that we can’t either. That’s God’s Word for you today.