Faith as small as a mustard seed...

i saw the dishonesty, the sneakiness.
i was appalled at the lack of integrity, even more appalled at the lack of repentance.
how did a person come to a point like this - where no shame is felt even when thievery is exposed? no remorse shown, saying only what is necessary to get his way? To get away?

what can i do, when my words seem to get nowhere? i can't let it pass - it would be detrimental to him. Yet what can i do?

How did he get this way?

is it the upbringing?
is it the influence of friends?
do we blame it on society? the media?
is it in-born?

What should i do - is it a lost cause? Is it just a losing battle, to want to raise a generation of people who are discerning and upright?

It weighed on my mind as i crawled into bed for my night devotion.

Passage for the night was from Matthew 17.

When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Ahhhh... Just what i needed.
Why do i trouble my mind with "why is the boy behaving badly?"
Why do i entertain thoughts that it's a lost cause?
Why do i care about who's to blame?
These are not the main points.

If i have faith as small as a mustard seed, i can pray for them!
i can pray that they will become oaks of righteousness, men of sound character and integrity.
And, whether instantaneously right before my eyes, or in a few days, weeks, months, years later, that's what they will be.

God, give me more faith, so i will never give up, so i will always believe in what you have called me to do. Give me more faith, so that i will ask, and it will be done, according to your will.
And in the name of Jesus, i speak your righteousness into X. Bless him, make him a man of integrity and righteousness.
Amen.