how do you teach that?

i am convinced more and more that there is a key element missing from the cultural mindset in america. i suppose there are several ways to look at it or break it down, but the trend i am noticing is that people no longer can connect A to B.
"i just can't figure out why this happened to me."
"i don't know how to get there from here, so i'll just stay here."
maybe you've seen this to. it's not that people can't do the work before them; they just can't see why they need to do the work, so it doesn't get done.
i see this in many students.
"why did i fail your class?"
"you didn't do any homework. because of that you didn't have the necessary skills to score well on tests."
"but, i ran out of time to get it done."
"why? what happened?"
"well, i ..." and then the excuses begin to roll.
another major incident in our family follows suit. a person we know is struggling to find their place in the world. they don't understand why they aren't rich and successful. they don't understand why all their relationships are failures. they don't understand why they are always feeling sick.
and yet, we see it clearly. you aren't rich and successful (although still in their 20s) because you won't find a job and work for a living. your relationships are failures because they treat you the way you treat them. you are always feeling sick because you smoke a pack a day, you dip snuff and you eat nothing but fast food and beer.
how do you help these people? it's been a long understood principle that you can't help those that don't want help. my heart is filled with compassion, but my patience runs out because they don't want help. actually, it would be more accurate to say they don't see that they need help.
God created the system and He works within His own system (because He is perfectly just and holy). throughout scripture He says, "if you do this, I will bless you; if you do that, i will condemn you." the logic is clear. the experience of Christ never fails--He is completely accurate everytime.
to some of the blog readers, i write this: align your lives with Christ and things fall into place. an old saying tells us to "get under the spout where the blessings come out." if things aren't going right, it's probably a symptom that something in your life is misaligned. there's only been one record of any one named job. but, even in the midst of all his loss, he aligned himself with his Creator and was blessed the more richly for it.
to the rest of the readers, to those of whom my ramblings make no sense: i am praying for you to find peace.

Lord, increase my compassion; increase my patience. give me words to say and deeds to do that will help others see You and how You work in their lives. teach me to help where i can help and to be able to draw a line wherever it needs to be drawn and let me not become to quick to draw a line that shuts someone out of my life. i am blessed to have this understanding of Your Person and Character. as much as it depends on me, help me to do my part to impart this knowledge to those You bring into my lifepath.