They're Captives, Not Idiots

While at work the other day, a group of young people walked through my door. I looked up from what I was doing to see a couple of guys and girls, all tattooed and pierced in just about every area that you could see. They were dressed in a hodge podge of clothes ranging from shorts, to tank tops and pajama bottoms, not at all professional. The guy leading the pack walked up to the check out counter and asked, "Hey, are you hiring?" To which I replied, "No." As they all turned and walked out the door, I thought to myself, "I'm not hiring idiots." And went back to what I had been doing.

It was at this moment that the Holy Spirit convicted my heart for what I had been thinking, and I said out loud, "You're right Lord, those kids aren't idiots, they're captives." And that set me to thinking. I probably have had a bad habit of judging books by their covers, I'll admit it. I'm not the best when it comes to looking past the outside of a person, and making judgments. Yeah, I know this is a bad thing and the Lord has been working on me about this for years. I will say that I am much better now, than I was in years past, so there is hope for me.

It was this thought that those kids who came in my store were captives of the enemy that really stuck out to me for the rest of the day. I thought about those kids, and wondered what influence if any they have had by Christians. I know that while it is not my job to try and save everyone, or even help every young person that I come in contact with, I am to show the love of Jesus to them. I hadn't done that, and if they knew that I was a Christian, then could I have been another in a long line of Christians who instead of reaching out, passed judgement and had written them off? And if that was the case, what would their thoughts be about the Savior who loved them enough to die for them? Oh, here is another level of wretchedness that I've not seen about myself before.

Okay, so I'll admit it, this is not looking so good for old Dave today. Once again, I've been laid open and filleted by the Father so as to reveal another character flaw. Don't get me wrong, when He shows me these, it is for my good, because I know that Jesus wants me to be a better man today, than I was yesterday. And I want that too, even if it is painful sometimes to admit things like this.

I did a disservice to those young people the other day, and in doing so I may have added to their prison sentence, instead of helping them discover the true freedom that comes from knowing Jesus. How about you? Is this something that you have done yourself? How could you better interact with people who are not idiots, they're captives of the enemy in need of freedom? Let's get 'em up folks, and go win some people for the Kingdom today!