encouraged and discouraged

Pondering recent conversations on reasoning (which I am usuing reasoning to speak my point), I sit here staring at the ceiling not knowing if I'm enouraged or discouraged.

Encouraged, because I see the need for reasoning and I'm going to school to become equipped in this, but discouraged because I think, "what's the point"? We are told to not cast our pearl's before swine, and that "fertile soil" must exist before the seed is thrown. Heart change is completely out of our control, and reasoning (in the conext of the gospel) is considering foolishness to those who are perishing. 

I think of 2 Corinthians 10:5

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Here's to taking every though captive for the sake of obedience to His comandments. Specifically thinking about evangelism and looking to Paul's example in reasoning with non-believers in Acts 17 & 18.