Isaiah 5:2
“And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.”
What did I do wrong? This is the question many people ask when they have invested their lives and done their best to help those who they love to turn out right. Sadly, parents second-guess what they did wrong that caused their child to go wayward. They wonder if they were too strict or not strict enough. They wonder if they spent too little time and question if they gave enough possessions to their child. My answer to every parent is that it’s not the vineyard.
Pastors and ministry leaders wonder what they could have done that caused a person to do some of the bad things they did. They wonder what would cause a person to grow up in the youth department and turn out living such a wicked lifestyle. These pastors and ministry leaders question whether or not they should change how they do things and wonder if they should loosen up a bit. They ask themselves what they did to cause this person to go wayward. My answer to every pastor and ministry leaders is that it’s not the vineyard.
God asked the same question about Israel, but He also gave us the answer. When you look at the verse above, God used a vineyard to represent Israel. He says that He planted them “in a very fruitful hill.” He fenced it so that the wild animals would not destroy them. He set up a tower so that the watchman could see the enemy come from afar. He planted the vineyard with the choicest seeds. Yet, the vineyard brought forth wild grapes. God asked in verse 4, “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” God understood that it wasn’t the vineyard, but it was the individuals choice to do what they did.
My answer to every person who questions what you could have done more is that it is not the vineyard’s fault. The rules you established didn’t make a young person go bad. The hard preaching isn’t what runs people off. It’s not the parent’s fault who required their child to be home by a certain time and prohibited them from running with a certain person or crowd. The vineyard is not at fault. The fault is not that you were too hard or that you had too many rules. The fault is not that you didn’t give them enough. The fault is not that you didn’t let them participate more in worldly activities. The fault does not lie with the vineyard. You must come to grips that the fault lies with the individual. Every individual has a choice and their decision to do wrong is their fault.
It’s time that we stop blaming the vineyard for the rebellious child and place the blame on the rebel. People have gone wayward who had everything you think you should have given to your child. It’s not the vineyard! It’s the heart of the individual! Instead of trying to change your vineyard, you need to be sure that those who are still in the vineyard are kept safe. Don’t let the Devil cause you to second-guess the rules, the preaching, the lifestyle and commitment to the LORD. He wants you to change these protections that you have set up so that he can destroy more people. Let me encourage you to keep your vineyard as secure as God commands. Don’t change your vineyard for the sake of a rebel. Always remember that weeds grow in every vineyard.