Take Responsibility

I hesitate to put the burden on you for your personal responsibility, but isn’t this what it often means to be an adult?

We learned this as our parents and teachers taught us, but somewhere along the way we’ve abdicated responsibility – you do it, I’m not capable. You train me, love me, care for me, reach out to me when I’m down – that’s your “J-O-B”…

Then we don’t pay someone to do their job and suddenly they are at fault for the wrongs in our lives and the world around us.

I want to change that scenario and, yes, I have a couple of scriptural thoughts for you.

Be An Encourager

Maybe we don’t do this very well for others, because we don’t know how to do it for ourselves. What’s that? Be an encourager! It’s an action word for an action item!

Catch the action? Do it (encourage: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence:) for yourself and it will be easier to do it for others! Be the example, show the way, walk the path, don’t give up!

It’s the kind of language we find from those who are “warriors” and “fighters” in attitude.

• Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.
• When the going gets tough, the tough get going
• No pain. No gain.

Pick on King David for a moment. Things were going bad. Instead of following the path of his predecessor and looking for someone to play music to assuage his tattered life, David took responsibility.

And David was greatly distressed;
for the people spake of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved,
every man for his sons and for his daughters:
but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
(1 Samuel 30:6 KJV)

Maybe this is what we all need to learn. Personal responsibility to connect with our God and find the strength to persevere!

Be Stable

When you are far from your home base, what you were back there should be what you are now. There’s no vacation from decency, faithfulness, love, or any other word you want to utilize.

Joseph, again, tells us how to be stable even when the tide has turned against him. Loved and favored by his dad, given such insightful dreams and visions by God, he was hated by his brothers. 10 of them!

His dad sends him to check on the status of his brothers and sheep. What do they do?

And when they saw him afar off,
even before he came near unto them,
they conspired against him to slay him.
(Genesis 37:18)

Such hatred! Against their father’s favorite, the conspire to do him in. He is finally sold as a slave and ends up in Egypt. The roller coaster ride that got him there, did not end with his arrival. Go check it out.

In the end, it was the stability of Joseph that was the ongoing salvation for his family.

But as for you, ye thought evil against me;
but God meant it unto good,
to bring to pass, as it is this day,
to save much people alive.
(Genesis 50:20)

Heed These Words

Max Lucado has been presenting a national Bible Study online base on his book: Hope and Help for Turbulent Times…

A phrase keeps popping up, and it’s basically something we all need to heed, comprehend, use for ourselves, and then share with others.

‪”You’ll get through this.
It won’t be painless.
It won’t be quick.
But God will use this mess for good.
In the meantime don’t be foolish or naive.
But don’t despair either.
With God’s help you will get through this.”
~Max Lucado

Encouraging words for difficult times.

David did it to himself and I wonder that this might have been the only way Joseph survived himself. In every opportunity presented to him, this young lad, now a man, kept himself for God’s purpose. No priest, preacher, teacher, church, fellowship, coach, nor encourager.

He took responsibility for his life, even when it’s not the dreamer version he often thought about from him younger years. Yet, he took personal responsibility to live an overcomer’s life!