One of the lessons I learned in life is that I can’t change people! Unfortunately, I learned this lesson later in life and I could have saved myself many hours of aggravation and frustration if I had learned it sooner. As much as I wanted to change some people, God finally showed me that it is impossible for one human being to change another because it’s a job only He can do!
At this time I was working in a local fast food restaurant training new people to make food items correctly and quickly. I was responsible for teaching the teenage workers to make the food neatly and to work the line where the hamburgers and sandwiches were made. I love teaching and I believe God has gifted me in this area.
The problem became extremely evident and frustrating. When a teen would mess up on a sandwich, I would occasionally pull them aside and have them make the sandwich for me. Sometimes I actually had to correct an error but most of the time they already knew what to do, and they could make the sandwich right. The problem came when I put them back on the assembly line and turned by back. As soon as I quit watching they would go back to slopping the ketchup so it would run out the side of the burger or not lining up the meat and cheese correctly or doing something else to make a slop job. I was getting really frustrated.
One day, after an experience like this, I took a break and during that time I prayed. Then I heard God’s soft spoken voice say, “Why are you trying to change them? That’s my job! You don’t have the ability to change people.” Then I understood: It’s the Holy Spirit that works inside people, and He alone can change and heal them from the inside out.
My job was to show them how to make the food, and when I felt confident they knew what they needed to know, the rest was God’s job. Knowing this simple but profound fact has saved me hours of aggravation and frustration from trying to do something that’s totally impossible for me. I now have peace from this situation and pray for the people. Then I leave them in God’s hands so He can deal with the needed heart changes (theirs or mine).
This little bit of wisdom has taught me that many people who frustrate me, I need to pray and ask God to help me have peace, deal with me if the problem is in me, and pray that He will do what’s best in all of our lives. Many things I cannot do but with God all things are possible!
