The 10 People Nobody Can Help

stubborn people

I’ve been involved in pastoral ministry for 30 years, and I have a desire to help everyone. But I have learned the hard way that there are some truly stubborn people, and I cannot help every person who attends our church or who comes to me for input.

10 Types of Stubborn People

The following are 10 kinds of people I have identified that are so entrenched in certain habit patterns that I cannot help them advance to the next level unless they make the necessary shift in their attitude or behavior.

1. Those who do not take responsibility for themselves.

The first step toward self-improvement is to remove all excuses for mediocrity or failure. Those that continually blame other people for their failures will never go to the next level.

Leaders can complain about their spouses, the income level of their congregations, the lack of staff, etc., but I have learned that within every challenge is the seed of opportunity for success, which requires the creativity of problem solving.

2. Those who do not have a heart to seek God.

The Bible teaches us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).

Those who do not respect God enough to seek Him and study His word so they can make wise decisions in life are violating Scripture (Joshua 1:8-9) and cannot be helped either by myself or any other leader or minister.

Those who do not obey what God requires for success have decided to try to be successful in life without God’s blessings!

3. Those who create distance so they are not accountable.

There are certain stubborn people I have met in our church who only let others get so close before cutting off the relationship. Many go from one church to the next because they fear becoming too close to a leader who will hold them accountable.

Often, some will attempt to attend a megachurch where they will be able to hear the word of God in the context of a large crowd so that no one will really know who they are.

Whether it is fear or rebellion, those who live like this have put a low ceiling on their lives and will not grow past the infant stage concerning their potential in life.

4. Those who insist on having a negative outlook on life.

There are some stubborn people who refuse to exercise faith in God or think positively, as the Word of God commands us in Philippians 4:8. This is because some have a propensity to expect the worst in life so they are never disappointed by anyone or anything!

This is a weird way some folks attempt to shield their emotions from the pain of disappointment; it is a very common practice with many people. Jesus often told people that they would receive according to how they believed (for example, Matthew 8:13). Proverbs 23:7 teaches that as a person thinks in their heart, so they will be.

I cannot empower a person who refuses to think God’s thoughts about themselves and about life.