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We see a grievous amount of hardness of heart in the world today—men and women who have openly rejected the ways of God. How do we respond to arrogant people, especially leaders, who are convinced they in their humanity know what is best?

Around 600 B.C., God sent Ezekiel to confront Israel for her many sins, including her hardness of heart toward Him and her rebellion against His Word.

Though the following passage was written eons ago, it reads almost like a current description of many of our leaders in America, sometimes called the “global elites.” These men and women are hungry for power and want to stay in power, and they obviously believe they are above God’s righteous standards.

Here is how the book of Ezekiel describes hard-hearted leaders:

God said, “Son of man, these are the men who draw up blueprints for sin, who think up new programs for evil in this city. They say, ‘We can make anything happen here. We’re the best. We’re the choice pieces of meat in the soup pot.’ Oppose them, son of man. Preach against them.” (Eze. 11:2–4 MSG)

These men were not going to get away with their arrogance—God Himself opposed them. The judgment of the Lord is a real thing. However, the fruit of that judgment is unexpected: His grace. Just a few verses later, God says the following:

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. (Eze. 11:19 NIV)

Today we have the same mission as Ezekiel. The weapons of our warfare are powerful, particularly our intercession for rebellious, arrogant rebels to come to know Jesus. Were we any different when we didn’t know Jesus? But everything changed for us when the Holy Spirit moved, and we realized we needed to repent.

The Tipping Point of Change

People’s hearts can be changed only by the gift of repentance. God’s kindness—expressed through the work of the Holy Spirit and expressed by us, His family—brings people to the “tipping point” of change.

Do the riches of his extraordinary kindness make you take him for granted and despise him? Haven’t you experienced how kind and understanding he has been to you? Don’t mistake his tolerance for acceptance. Do you realize that all the wealth of his extravagant kindness is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance? (Rom. 2:4 TPT)

The kindness of God can melt the hardest heart. It melted ours, and one day we will see it melt the hearts of leaders who—right now—aren’t interested in God’s ways.

Loving Arrogant People

So, practically speaking, what does loving arrogant people actually look like?

Paul gives an answer:

God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands. (2 Tim. 2:24–26 MSG)

That is how we bear with loud, stubborn, arrogant people who don’t know Jesus yet. We show them kindness, the same way God showed us kindness. We keep in mind that at any moment, the Holy Spirit could move, and the person might “sober up” with a change of heart. That is what God did with each of us, and He is still in the business of finding the lost and bringing them home.