Message 7 July 2016 Taking
Responsibility II: Test of Responsibility
And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and
over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)
In
the last message we saw that the first and highest responsibility is to obey
God. To live for his glory and walk in his wisdom.
This
message is about four things responsible people don't do. The four are tests
for responsibility. Responsibility is easy to claim but hard to take. When
things are not going well, people who take responsibility rise from obscurity. Otherwise when things are going well it's
hard to tell those accepting responsibility. Everyone will claim credit even
when they did nothing.
1) Responsible people don't avoid responsibility
Any
responsibility avoided will appear later as a ghost. Responsibility is avoided
in several ways.
>> Refusing to accept blame
Aaron refused
blame for building the golden calf idol (Exodus 32:21-24). Responsible people
accept blame when things don't go well. When you always blame everyone else and
everything else except yourself you are failing to take responsibility. This
attempt to avoid responsibility is noticeable not only at personal level where
for example media and peer pressure take
blame but also at corporate levels. For example, it’s not uncommon for post-independence
Africa to find scapegoat for poor governance and economic performance in
colonialism, the white man, sanctions and harsh environments. You will not
fully do something about a situation unless you full accept blame for its unfavorable
outcome. Instead of being a specialist on your past and its pain say how do I
reach out to my future and its fortune despite obstacles.
>> Giving excuses
Responsible
people explore ways to get things done to solve challenges. Esther almost found
an excuse for not going before the king to plead for the deliverance of the
Jews from being destroyed by Haman (Esther 4:8-11). But Modecai helped her
realize that it her opportunity to take responsibility. She then put her life
on the line and trusted in God (Esther 4:16) resulting in the nation being
spared from destruction. The responsible say how can I do it, instead of it
cannot be done. They say how can I afford it, instead of I cannot afford.
Instead of there is a problem or I hate this, they ask how shall I provide a
solution. Instead of give me, they say what can I give. Responsibility says
nobody owes me anything and what I receive I don't take for granted. Appreciation
is perfected when you know people did not owe you and did not have to do you
anything good.
>> Failing to arrive at a decision
Indecision is
common when effecting radical change,
when risk is high, when it involves tough conversations and when it disturbs
current comfort and familiarity. Yet gears to the next league are however often
shifted by some hard decision. Reluctance to make such a decision when
necessary is unwillingness to take responsibility. Signs of this are
procrastination, ducking and diving, endless research and analysis and
resorting to merely watching instead of taking action.
>> Harboring bitterness and grudges
Bitterness and
unforgiveness transfer the responsibility you need to move forward to your
offender. When you can't move forward until he/she explains, pays or apologizes
you transfer authority to him/her. You have to take the responsibility back
from the offender you need it. Instead of who hurt me, ask how did I allow hurt
to reach my heart. How did the hurt missile go past my spiritual defences? How
did I allow it to hurt me? How did that happen? No weapon fashioned against you
should prosper (Isaiah 54:17). You can't stop offence from being inflicted on
you but maybe you can stop it from reaching your heart and grounding you (Psalm
119:165).
>> Passing judgement and criticising unfairly.
Being
responsible involves attending first to the log in your own eye. To qualify for communion Paul taught the need
to examine oneself, not exceling in examining others (1 Corinthians 11:28). The
same will apply when you stand before God.
Instead of only
highlighting how wrong they are you examine yourself by asking, could there be
something wrong on my side. Also find out what is below their iceberg by asking
why would they do this? When you find out what they have been through you will
discover they are an opportunity for you to reach out and help instead of
condemn. Ask God why am I aware of the need or weakness of others (Esther 4:14, Titus 1:5).
2) Responsible people don't neglect
responsibility
Responsibility
is most visible in personal and private life. The question to ask is do you do
what is right and necessary in all situations? David had the power to do what
he wanted and he chose not to go to battle, chose to instead go to the roof top
to watch a woman bathing, the catastrophe of his choices is history (2 Samuel
11). What you do when no one is watching is very telling about how responsible
you are. Under supervision and promise of reward or threat everyone may appear
responsible. Also what you do with something that does not belong to you or is
shared with others is telling. Often what belongs elsewhere is neglected and
abused or left unmaintained. What you do in face of a need when you don't have
to do anything, when there is no direct self-benefit and when off the watchful
radar of people or leaders is the test. That is when you really have a choice
to just show who you are. For example, how you carry out volunteer work and whether
you act with the welfare of the next generation or your neighbors’ in mind.
3) Responsible people don't abandon
responsibility
You
can tell who is responsible when the ship faces harsh waters and when the bus
hits rough terrain. When head winds are strong and delay is long, when the pace
begins to steal the peace and when answers are not forthcoming or a request is
denied. The responsible people are seen by rising to the surface when things
get tough. They keep going towards the goal. They know that the next generation
depends on it and somewhere someone is
depending on their not quitting. The report of the spies was contagious
(Numbers 13). Divine help is not sent
where you are but to your station. God visited Adam but had to call out ‘where
are you?’ Storms and temptations come to move you from the station of faith and
the secret place of prayer and love.
When
the men of the day and the army generals abandoned responsibility of fighting
the Canaanites, Deborah arose (Judges 5:7). And Barak the army general said
unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with
me, then I will not go (Judges 4:8).. Yes you also can help your situation
(Philippians 4:13, Luke 1:37). Jabez
also helped his situation. So did Hanna. So did Bathsheba. So did the woman
with an issue of blood. So did blind Bathemeus. Joseph became prime minister in
a foreign land. And many others.
4) Responsible people don't deny
responsibility
What
do you do when you know no one saw you do something wrong but they are looking
for who did it? Responsible people do not deny responsibility. Saul disobeyed
God by not killing all of and what was among the Amelikites. He covered up that
he spared the animals so as to sacrifice to God. He did not admit his wrong.
Often something is found broken in a place where a few people have access and
no one owns up. That shows failure to take responsibility. I was told the story
of a man with a cell phone on a bus. The wife phoned and to show off their love
he put the phone on loud. To his shock the wife asked why he had eaten the
baby's porridge. The phone dropped
before he blamed the cat. The wife continued describing how it was not the
first time. May the phone drop each time you want to deny responsibility. David
owned up with God (Psalm 51) and picked up himself to serve his generation.
What this means for Responsible People
The
future is in your hands. You can do something. Refuse to watch your life go to waste. Refuse to allow
your situation go down the drain. What’s
going on does not need to continue. What happened in the past need not recur.
You can bring a full stop by taking responsibility. Unfavorable situations
continue until they are stopped. You can be the first in your clan. In your family
line someone was first to bath with soap, first to wear a suit, first to wear
shoes, first to own a bicycle. first to drink Fanta, first to use indoor toilet,
first to get a degree, first not to divorce, etc. Dare to cross the line and
shatter the ceiling. Make new things happen. Moses was the one to cross the Red
Sea on dry land. Everyone fell before angels but Jacob was the first to fall on
and wrestle an angel. There are shakers and takers be a shaker. There are
movers and mourners be a mover. There are makers and watchers be a maker.
Under
God, you are your own liberator. The solution lies in something you must do. The
solution is in some capacity God has already deposited in you. If no one is willing to take responsibility
for good things they will not just happen. Slavery and abuses stopped and will
stop when people take responsibility. Invention and discoveries are achieved
when people take responsibility. Stand up. Say something. Do something. Knock
doors, Seek, search, arise and pray.
- Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.
- Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.
- First Floor Dhando House,
- 66 Eloff Street Extension,
- Village Deep,
- Johannesburg,
- South Africa
Wow! May our Good Lord continue to use you. This message spoke to me and my husband in a way that I'm not able to put in words. God bless you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the feedback. I am happy the message was meaningful to you. May God grant your heart's desires as you delight in Him.
DeleteWow! May our Good Lord continue to use you. This message spoke to me and my husband in a way that I'm not able to put in words. God bless you.
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