Job 34:36
My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.
The young Elihu showed more wisdom than the three elderly friends who had accused Job of doing wrong. Elihu said he desired that Job may be tried unto the end. This young man knew if you waited until the end of Job’s life instead of judging the man when he was down, you would discover a great life that God had used.
This is the secret to keeping great relationships despite the shortcomings of those who are in the relationships. Too many people want to take one action and judge someone instead of looking at their whole life to see what they have done. Let’s face it, that is what God does with people. God could easily show us the one incident in someone’s life and focus on that to show what a terrible person they were; instead, God looks at the whole life, and when packaged together, that life was a life used by God.
Let’s look at some of the heroes in the Scriptures. David committed adultery and put a contract on a man’s life to have him killed so that he could marry that man’s wife. If we focused on that, David was a horrible man. However, as terrible as these sins were, God looked at the whole picture of his life and saw someone who was a man after God’s own heart.
I think of Samson who wasted his whole life. However, God looked at the whole of Samson’s life and saw that, in the end, Samson did more righteousness in the end than all the sin before. We could add to these illustrations by using Abraham, Jacob, Peter, Paul, and even Job, but in every case, God tried them unto the end and found, as a whole, their good outshined their bad. Let me share four principles about this critical truth that could save your relationships.
First, be patient while the end of one’s life comes. Instead of destroying someone because of the bad they are presently doing, you would be wise to pray and wait until the end of their life to see what becomes of their life. Many have done more at the end that outshined all the bad, but they would have never been able to do this had others not waited until the end. Don't destroy people for what they are presently doing, but wait until the end to give God a chance to work in their lives.
Second, look at the whole of the person before you judge them. Too many look at the one flaw of an individual to judge someone when, if you looked at the whole picture of that person, you would find a valuable person that can be used despite their weaknesses and flaws.
Third, if you look at the whole picture, one good in a life likely overshadows a life of sin and mistakes. All it takes for a life to be turned around is for them to do one good and for God to take that one good and make it the greatest act of their life. Don't destroy them because of their whole life, but pray that God will take them and allow them to do one good that would outshine the whole bad that they have done.
Fourth, don’t throw out the whole life, because you will throw out much good that could help and benefit you in your life. There is always good in everyone’s life, so throw away the bad and study the good in one’s life; you will find there is much good you can glean to help you if you choose to focus on the good of one’s life.
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