7 The one who corrects a mocker
will bring abuse on himself;
the one who rebukes the wicked will get hurt.[a]
8 Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you;
rebuke the wise, and he will love you.
9 Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still;
teach the righteous, and he will learn more. (Proverbs 9:7-9 CSB)
Over the years I have become a quieter person. I reserve my opinions, typically, until they are asked for. A wise man, or one seeking true knowledge will seek out various opinions. Those who think they have all the right answers rarely seek others opinions and when other opinions are voiced, they tend to shout them down.
I have found leaving people to their own devices is typically the best way to leave them.
There are far better ways to provide input that do not typically meet with direct opposition. Ways to help others see a different path without pushing them toward it, but helping them find a new way of thinking on their own. In this they feel that they have come up with a better way on their own and they can feel better about themselves. Does this mean that good ideas get taken from you and used by others to succeed. Yes, it does, and we should be happy about that.
Lifting others up in life should be our number two desire. Number one being showing them Christ through our lives and helping them along a faith path. Additionally, people learn more when we help them find their own way to the truth rather than trying to make them believe the truth.
